There was no time for hesitation now. He raised his arm gradually to the level of the tigerʼs eyes and fired. With a sudden roar, the tiger leapt back. Rex was on his feet in an instant, and, making a dash for the river, he threw himself in. A moment later the tiger was on the bank. It fell in close to him and swam about confusedly until, at last, it regained the bank, and there it stood roaring. It was evident to Rex that he had partially or wholly blinded it. He struck out down stream, but a few strokes showed him that he was so completely shaken by the ordeal he had gone through that he could not long support himself.
At this moment he saw that there was a junk lying ahead of him. A number of Chinamen on board were shouting and gesticulating, and as he watched them they began to fire in the direction of the tigerʼs roars. Rex swam round to the other side of the junk, unseen by the excited natives; then, feeling too exhausted to go farther, he climbed up by means of the oars, which had been left in position by the rowers, and, diving down an open hatchway, threw himself on something hard below. As he lay there he could hear the tiger roar terribly, but as the sound decreased he knew that the animal was moving away.
The firing presently ceased, but the talking of the Chinese continued, and Rex guessed that they were discussing who had fired the shot. He heard a boat row ashore, but after a time this returned, having found no signs of the tiger or its supposed victim. When they returned, the din gradually subsided and all became quiet again. By this time Rex had recovered; his shoulder was almost powerless, but he managed to crawl back to the hatchway, and, raising himself, he looked out.
The Chinamen were sitting about on the deck, some cooking and others smoking their little pipes. He thought it probable that after the excitement of the night they would remain up till morning, and in that case his risk of discovery was great. Doubtless he might hide himself in the cargo until that was discharged, but this might not be for some days, and he was anxious in the extreme to reach Tientsin as soon as possible. He therefore resolved to escape at once. He guessed that, with the exception of those who had gone ashore in the boat, the men would not have reloaded their firearms, and that, once ashore, he would be able to distance them. Several Chinamen were sitting between the hatch and the bulwark, but, climbing cautiously on deck, he reached the side of the vessel in a couple of strides and sprang overboard before anyone noticed him. There was a lull of surprise among the Chinese, and then a confused jabbering, followed by several musket shots. But Rex had dived, and having swum under water as long as he could hold his breath, he felt sure, when he came up, that he could no longer be distinctly seen in the darkness.
Then he heard some of the men try to move the boat again, and instead of making direct for the shore, he swam along parallel to it, knowing that the boat would go a great deal faster than he could swim. He heard the shouts of the men as they landed, and then, turning, swam for the other side. When he reached the bank he crawled among the bushes and lay down. For some time he remained without moving, but suddenly he sprang to his feet; the tiger had begun to howl again, and it was but a short distance from him. He knew that even if the bruteʼs sight was entirely destroyed its scent would bring it towards him, and having much more fear of the tiger than of the men, he again jumped into the river. He could hear the shouts of the Chinese, and, judged by their number, that they had been joined by many of their companions on the junk. He remained in the water till morning dawned, when a savage yell told him that he had been discovered by the Chinese on the other side.
The roar of the tiger had ceased, but he could hear its low moanings not far off. Nevertheless he felt that if he were to escape he must risk another encounter with the animal. He therefore made for the shore again, and climbed up on the bank. Looking back as he did so, he saw that the Chinese were leaping into their boat; then, without further delay he dashed in among the trees. When he reached the other side of the jungle he saw to his dismay a large number of Chinese soldiers in a village some three hundred yards away. He crept back again, therefore, among the bushes, and keeping just inside them moved cautiously along, taking the utmost pains not to show any signs of his presence. After proceeding a hundred yards or so in this way he approached the edge and looked out. A number of Chinese were just issuing from the bush, and one of them at once ran across towards the village. Rex moved forward again, this time leaving the edge and plunging into the heart of the jungle.
THERE WAS A LULL OF SURPRISE, THEN A CONFUSED JABBERING, FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL MUSKET–SHOTS.