phants are always
irritated by the ostentatious bustle of a rhinoceros. Then, soon
after him we saw a horned boar rushing like a black javelin
through the air, followed by many animals, weasels and wild cats,
and once in a while a cheetah with its spotted skin. They refused
to come out in the open, however, but always went behind the
screen of foliage and grass, for they had smelled the danger
signal, man and elephant.

Every little while we heard a passionate and angry growl. When
this sound reached our ears, the magistrate would sit up with his
rifle to take aim. Then there would be a lull. Now we could hear
the cry of the beaters in the distance coming nearer and nearer.
Suddenly a herd of elephants passed. They made no noise and left
no trace, but passed by like walking cathedrals.

Again the angry growl fell on the jungle, but this time it was
ahead of us. The beaters cried out again close by, but all were
silenced by the roar of the approaching tiger. With one bound he
appeared in the clearing, but immediately disappeared again. We
could see him passing from one bush to another; and when he
stopped we caught a glimpse of his hind legs. Without any warning
the magistrate fired and like a thunder bolt, the tiger leaped in
front of the elephant with one roar. Kari reared; he walked
backwards and stood with his back against a tree. The magistrate
could not shoot at the tiger without sending a bullet through my
head, so he had to wait.

Then with a leap the tiger was by the side of the elephant, so
close to the _howdah_ that there was not the distance of even a
rifle between him and the magistrate. I stopped my flute playing
to swear at the magistrate. I said, "You brother of a pig; why
did you not give him warning before you shot? Who has ever heard
of killing an animal without seeing him face to face? Can you
kill a tiger by breaking his hind leg with a bullet?"

The man was livid with terror. He had the rifle in his hand but
the tiger was reaching over the _howdah_ and stretching out his
paw to get him. He did not know what to do. Kari shook himself
with all his strength but he could not shake the tiger off. He
trumpeted in great pain because the tiger's claws were cutting
into his flesh. He raised his trunk, swayed his body and bounded
against a tree behind him; but still the tiger could not be
shaken off. The nearer the tiger's paw came, the more the
magistrate tried to lean against the side of the _howdah_