Though late in the season, the day and the scenery were beautiful. Leaving behind a noble thicket, where the fragrant and golden bells of the baubul trees mingled with the branches of other enormous shrubs, from the stems and branches of which the baboon ropes and other verdant trailers hung in fantastic festoons, the friends began to step short, look anxiously around them while advancing, a few paces apart, with their rifles at half-cock; for now they were close upon that spot called the jungle, and the morning sun shone brightly.
After six hours' examination of the jungle the friends saw nothing, and the increasing heat of the morning made them descend thankfully into a rugged nullah that intersected the thicket, to procure some of the cool water that trickled and filtered under the broad leaves and gnarled roots far down below.
Just as Chute was stooping to drink, Beverley said, in a low but excited voice:
'Look out, Trevor; by Jingo, there's the tiger!'
Chute did so, and his heart gave a kind of leap within him when, sure enough, he saw the dreaded tiger, one of vast strength and bulk, passing quietly along the bottom of the nullah, but with something stealthy in its action, with tail and head depressed.
In silence Beverley put his rifle to his shoulder, just as the dreadful animal began to climb the bank towards him, and at that moment a ray of sunlight glittering on the barrel caused the tiger to pause and look up, when about twenty yards off.
It saw him: the fierce round face seemed to become convulsed with rage; the little ears fell back close; the carbuncular eyes filled with a dreadful glare; from its red mouth a kind of steam was emitted, while its teeth and whiskers seemed to bristle as it drew crouchingly back on its haunches prior to making a tremendous spring.
Ready to take it in flank, Chute here cocked his rifle, when Beverley, not without some misgivings, sighted it near the shoulder, and fired both barrels in quick succession.
Then a triumphant shout escaped him, for on the smoke clearing away he saw the tiger lying motionless on its side, with its back towards him.
'You should have reserved the fire of one barrel,' said Chute, 'for the animal may not be dead, and it may charge us yet.'