Sahib's second gun I fired into the body of the beast, but whether I hit
him or not I cannot say, for all was confusion and dust and terror, and
also there was the fear lest the bullet should strike the Sahib. Then,
in a moment, the tiger had disappeared, and the Sahib also. There was
none to see, for these other men, the beaters, had quickly taken flight
at the sound of the roar of the tiger, and, as for me, I must confess
that, for a moment, after shooting at the beast, I turned my back upon
the animal, fearing lest he should now fall upon me. When I looked
again--it was but a few seconds later--both tiger and Sahib had, as I
say, disappeared; therefore I made no doubt that the savage brute seized
the Sahib Eccles and carried him into the jungle. Alas! there is no
doubt that he is dead. This is an evil tiger, an eater of men. There is
no hope that the poor Sahib is still alive.'

I listened to the shikari's narrative in speechless horror. It was
difficult to realise that he had spoken of Charlie Eccles, my old school
friend; that this tale he had just told me was of Charlie's death; and
that his death had happened within an hour or so, and might have been
prevented if I had arrived but a single day, or even half a day,
earlier.

'Shikari, this is a dreadful tale you have told me,' I groaned. 'If you
have told me the truth, and not lied in order to hide your own
cowardice, the Sahib Eccles is probably dead. This, however, must be
ascertained immediately, and his body must be found and brought in. You
will guide me at once to the spot, and we shall follow upon the tiger's
tracks.'

'Into the jungle, Sahib!' exclaimed the shikari. 'Upon the track of a
wounded tiger! Then we are lost men, both of us.'

'At any rate, if you are a coward, and dare not help me to seek your
master, you shall at least show me where he was seized, and I will go
alone.'

The shikari, though evidently a nervous man, was no coward. He pulled
himself together.

'I will go with the Sahib,' he said. 'It shall not be spoken of me that
there was a thing of which I was afraid. The Sahib will allow me to
carry this second rifle of the Sahib Eccles?'

'Of course. You have answered well, shikari; it shall be said that you
are a brave man. Take the rifle and come, for this is a matter that
cannot wait.'

So we set out for the place where poor Eccles had lost his life, some
two or three miles from the bungalow, and my heart was heavy as lead as