"Well, dear, I will, if you very much wish it," she responded with an indulgent smile, "although I thoroughly believe you must know it as well as I do. It happened, as you are aware, not long after your father and I were married—just after we had come here to live. Everything was strange to me, and when I heard that a tiger was prowling about the district, and had actually killed several unfortunate natives, you can easily imagine that I was more terrified than I can express. Your father tried to laugh me out of my fears, which he thought were needless; but Nanukchund fully sympathised with me—I think, indeed, he was quite as alarmed as I was, and during your father's daily absences from home kept a careful watch around the place, whilst after dark he even persisted in our having the doors leading on to the verandah shut and bolted, although the heat was almost unendurable just then."
"I had not had much experience of tigers in those days," Captain Gidley interposed, "or I should have known that Nanukchund was wise to insist on caution. I thought it extremely unlikely that 'my lord stripes' would dare to approach our bungalow, although I knew he had worked sad havoc in a native village not far distant; and I actually laughed at Nanukchund when he suggested the advisability of my keeping a loaded gun by my bedside!"
"But I made you take Nanukchund's advice, Richard," his wife said, "and, as it happened, it was most fortunate, most providential, I ought to say, that I did!—Well, Dick, to proceed with the story. One night, some hours after we had gone to bed, we found the heat so intolerable in our room that your father suggested opening the door leading to the verandah for a few minutes. Accordingly he did so, and then made the discovery that Nanukchund was squatting in a corner of the verandah. I heard your father ask him what he was doing, and heard Nanukchund reply that he was on the look-out for the tiger."
"Yes," broke in Captain Gidley, who, although he had declared himself too lazy to tell the tale, could not resist putting in a few words now and then, "and he distinctly objected to my leaving the door open; however, I informed him we could not possibly endure the heat with it shut, and then he took up his position in the doorway, and said he would watch whilst we slept; so I returned to your mother, and told her she need have no fears as to our safety."
"Afterwards," Mrs. Gidley said, as her husband paused, "Nanukchund explained to us that he fell asleep, and was awakened by the sound of a snarling growl. He sprang to his feet, immediately on the defensive, and—it was a moonlight night—saw a huge tiger, only a few yards from him on the verandah, licking his lips, lashing his tail, and evidently contemplating the prospect of a meal. In his sudden fright, Nanukchund uttered a piercing yell, which awoke both your father and me. Your father jumped out of bed and grasped his gun at the same instant that the tiger sprang at poor Nanukchund, who, too, sprang forward, meeting the great beast in its leap. I saw a flash of steel in the moonlight, and heard an awful snarling cry of mingled rage and pain as Nanukchund struck the tiger in the chest with the long-bladed knife he had taken the precaution to have with him; but, although wounded, the animal was not mortally hurt, and struck at Nanukchund with one of his forepaws. Then your father, who had raised his gun and taken careful aim, fired; and in a few minutes the servants were all on the spot, the tiger lay dead in the doorway, and Nanukchund, except for some deep scratches on the chest where the tiger's claws had torn the flesh, was quite unharmed."
"That was a good shot of yours, father!" Dick cried enthusiastically.
"So it was," Captain Gidley replied, with a smile. "The tiger was shot right through the heart. I never took surer aim; and I can truthfully say, was never more frightened in my life! There was no time for reflection; but I was conscious of the full horror of the situation, and as I caught up my gun and took aim, I just cried out to God in my heart to help me—and He did!"
There was a brief silence, which was broken by Dick, who said earnestly,—
"I hope I shall be as good a shot as you, father, when I grow up. I expect every one was very glad to hear the tiger was killed?"
"Yes, very glad, for the brute had been the terror of the neighbourhood for several weeks."