'Hear, hear,' Vandeleur chimed in; 'I quite agree.'
'Though, mind you,' Ralph continued, 'I think the tiger is quite as plucky, taking him all round.'
'As a rule, yes,' said Vandeleur; 'but I have known lions attack a human camp at night, and I don't fancy any tiger would do that, so long as there was a fire burning.'
'Nor a lion either,' laughed Ralph.
'Excuse me, I have known them do it,' said Vandeleur; 'and I will tell you about it one of these evenings.'
'Get on with your story, Ralph,' growled Bobby; 'arguments are against the rules.'
Ralph laughed, and proceeded.
I was in India at the time (he said), and stationed at Fuzzanpore, pretty dull and longing for a change or some sort of excitement to relieve the monotony of my work, when a letter came from a great friend of mine, Charlie Eccles, who sent me an invitation which made my mouth water.
'I'm going on a month's leave,' Charlie wrote, 'shooting; the sport will be mostly snipe and other small game, but there's a chance of tigers. Now, I know you are a busy man—— '