But there was a very much surprised store-keeper who, the next morning, went to take in the big can of milk. It was upset and spilled.
“Ha! Some bad boys must have done this!” thought the store-keeper. “I must tell the police!”
But wouldn’t he have opened wide his eyes in surprise if he had known a tiger had drunk the milk, and if he had seen Tamba doing it? Perhaps it is just as well he did not.
But Tamba never knew what a sad trick he had played on the store-keeper. The tame tiger slunk along, coming nearer and nearer to the smell of the salt water, and at last he came to the river itself. It really was a river of salt water, and ran down to the big ocean. But the river was not like those in the jungle. It had no banks of green vines, mud, and trees. Instead, all along the river were big houses built on piers with the water in between, and it was to one of these docks that Tamba slunk down in the darkness.
Tied at the docks were big ships which would soon steam down the river and cross the ocean. Tamba knew what ships were. He had come across the ocean in one when he was brought away from the jungle.
“I think I have found the place I want at last,” said Tamba to himself, as he walked slowly along a pier. “It is the place of the salt water where I landed when I first came to this country. Now I have only to go back the other way and I’ll be at my jungle. And how glad I shall be! Now I will find a good place to hide until morning, and then I’ll see what is best to do. I am tired now, but I had a good drink of milk and I can sleep.”
So Tamba found a quiet hiding place on the ship dock and went to sleep.