My courage revived, and with it came a fierce longing to destroy my tormentor, whose foul breath reached and sickened me even at that distance. Now, another thought suddenly struck me: was there possibly a gun of some kind in the house? Hardly; for if so I should probably have seen it, or Jimmy would have offered me the weapon when I left that afternoon. Anyhow, I would find out.
"Jimmy!" I bawled, causing the tiger to start angrily.
"Yes, Mr. Geoffrey?"
"The tiger has come on to the veranda roof—as you said; but he can't manage to spring into the tree, so I'm safe!"
"Oh, I'm so glad! I was——"
"I say, have you a gun?"
"Father took one rifle with him; the other is in the case, locked up, to keep us from meddling with it."
"Are there cartridges?"
"Yes; a beltful in the case."
"Where's the key?"