ly fell upon them. The cries of the beaters at once seemed curiously dim. It was as if no soun

ideas in regard to this tiger-hunt. He knew that his prey was desperate with

that has missed his stroke is like a jackal in dog-days-and that means that it is not safe to be anywhere in the region with him. He simply goes rabid and is qui

conscious effort toward stealth. The rifle rested easily in his arms, his gray eyes were quiet and thoughtful as always. Singularly, his splendid features wer

ked quietly. "It is strange tha

i replied. "The forest pigs have

pigs are brave enough," he answered. "They

oss. Just for an instant he stood watching, gazing into the deep-blue dusk of the deeper jungle. Twilight was falling softly. The trails soon vanished into shadow-patch

f going on," he said.

ngs before the dawn if

waiting. It was not his p

eturned-she'll get one of them sure. At least we may cross the creek and get a vie

red yards farther they came to the cree

the mud of the bottom. And at that instant the gods of the jungle, alwa

ng gasp that the splash of water wholly obscured. But the thing that brought home the truth to Warwick was the pain that flashed, vivid as li

high-powered sporting rifle at close range. Mugger had plates of armour, but even these could not have availed against it if he had been exposed to the fire. As it was, several inches of water stood between, a more effective armour than a two-inch steel pl

arried at his belt. To a casual glance, a crocodile is wholly incapable of quick action. These two found him a slashing, darting, wol

his rifle. But even human bodies, usually so weak, find themselves possessed of an amazing reserve strength and agility in the moment of need. These men realized perfectly that t

an instant the great reptile flopped in an impotent half-circle, partly reared out of the water. It gave Warwick a chance to shoot, a single instant in which the rifle seemed to whirl about in his arms, driv

le and dragged them forty feet up on the shore. It was an effort that cost the last of his strength. And as the stars

is wrists, the strange numbness in one of his legs, the darkness with the great white Indian stars

the mugger had met in one of the muscles of his upper arm, but before unconsciousness had come upon him he had been able to lift the gun to shoot. Possibly infection from the bite had in some

the gray darkness of the jungle night he could see the hand quite plainly. It no longer looked s

lance he was boundlessly relieved to see that the hand could unquestionably be saved. The fingers were torn, yet their bones d

, and then, because they had ceased to function, with the flesh of his wrist. He expected

and it was possible that one

ally or even very seriously hurt. True, one of his arms had suffered paralysis, but there was no reason for thinking it had been permanently

all his energy, these first few hours, to keep his consciousness. Besides, it was perfectly obvious that Singhai could not walk. And English gent

. And then understanding came to him. A full hour had passed since he and his servant had foug

d thus be all the more quick to believe he had died in her talons. Nahara had her mate and her own lameness to avenge, they had said, attributing in their superstition human emotions to the brute natures of animals. It would have been quite useless for Warwick to attempt to tell them that the male tiger, in the mind of her wicked mate, was no longer even a memory, and that premeditated vengeance is an emoti

nd stepping falsely, broke a twig. He thought at first that it might be one

n the twig had not gone away, but was crouching down, in a curiou