shot away. They scattered;
they disappeared utterly and at once. Where they went I know not. We
never saw them again. We did not even think of them. Our eyes were set
fast upon the black and yellow stripes and the great head. Without
volition I grasped my rifle. Irene put her hand upon her weapon, but I
whispered to her not to move.

"The tiger came slowly out of the jungle so that we could see him
clearly; then he walked toward us. I clutched my rifle still more
tightly.

"Suddenly Irene whispered to me: 'We are not fastened; those men did
not attach the rope; and we may drift away from him, perhaps across the
river, and so lose him. Is it too far for a shot?'

"'Entirely, entirely,' I answered; 'we must wait: and if we do drift
across the river we may find some other game there. Be quiet!'

"So we both were quiet; but the balloon did not drift: there was no
wind.

"The tiger moved gently toward us; it was dreadful to remain thus
motionless and see him come on. He had paid no attention to the escaping
natives: he was giving his mind entirely to our balloon. He looked up at
us, and he looked down at the end of the rope, a yard or two of which
was moving about like a snake as the balloon veered a little this way
and that.

"This seemed to interest the tiger. He stopped for a few moments and
looked at it. He was now near enough for us to observe him closely. We
did so with breathless interest. He was a long tiger, and very thin; his
flabby flanks seemed to indicate that he was hungry. Suddenly he gave a
quick bound; he ceased to regard the balloon; his eyes were fixed upon
the end of the rope. With great leaps he reached it. He arched his back
and looked at it as it moved, then he put one paw upon it. We leaned
over the edge of the car and watched him.

"The rope was so attached that by putting out her arm Irene could reach
it. She seized it and made the lower end of it move more quickly on the
ground. The tiger gave a jump, with his eyes on the rope. Then he leaped
forward, and over and over again he put his foot upon it and quickly
jerked it away.

"'What are you doing?' I whispered. 'Are you mad? You may enrage him.
Do not touch the rope! Do not touch it again!' Oh, the recklessness, the
unthinking playfulness of woman! How can we guard against it? How can we
be safe from it?

"The rope was now still for a moment. It ceased to interest the tiger,
and he looked upward. Suddenly an idea came into his head. He