nd they, seeing the good result of their
fatigue in the form of articles which excited their cupidity, ended by
keeping me plentifully furnished with the goods in question.

* * * * *

The new branch of commerce, which I had started, required a good deal of
energy, but I let no grass grow under my feet and went frequently to
Tapah in order to open up a sale for my products.

It was on my return from one of these journeys that something happened
to me worth relating.

Only a few hours of daylight remained when I set out from Tapah for my
forest habitation. I was carrying with me six nice loaves and a piece of
venison that I had bought in town and I thought with keen appreciation
of the savoury supper I should have that night.

I hurried along as fast as possible in order to traverse the 2 miles of
highroad and the other of woodland track, which lay before me, ere night
fell. In spite of the 30 miles already done that day my legs continued
to serve me well and I walked rapidly on with a bent head, full of
thought.

At a sudden turning of the path I raised my eyes to scrutinize the way.
About 50 yards in front of me I saw a dark and confused mass slowly
moving. Thinking to meet with a party of coolies from a neighbouring
mine, who were perhaps going for provisions, I advanced for another 40
paces, then stopped short and was fixed to the spot. The formless mass
had taken the shape of nothing less than an enormous tiger!

There was no fear that step or gesture of mine would attract its
attention for at the sight I had become petrified, like Lot's wife! In
that atom of time, which seemed to me a century, I could not even think,
but across the deadened faculty of my mind flashed a warning I had
recently received from the Sakais: never make a movement in the presence
of a tiger, and never look it straight in the face.

[Illustration: Towards the mountains.

_p._ 52.]

The first part of this injunction was instinctively obeyed for I
remained there rooted to the ground, utterly unable to stir even if such
an imprudent idea had suggested itself. My senses were so paralyzed by
the unexpected encounter that I did not entirely realize my position and
had only a vague perception that when those fierce eyes once rested upon
me the end of the world would have come, as far as I was concerned.

Sideways I saw that the huge beast, which had been sniffing the ground,
to find out what animal had la