IN THE JUNGLE.
A moment later, and a fresh pair of burning eyes was added to the
group in the jungle.
"Shout, shout, or he spring," cried Me Dain.
The whole party shouted at the top of their voices. This sudden uproar
checked the tiger; the most ferocious brute hesitates to leap upon
people who are making a great noise. Then a sudden flame spurted up,
and they saw the whole scene plainly. This was the doing of Buck. He
had been hastily gathering great handfuls of dried grass and piling
them together. He struck a match and tossed it into the heap. The
withered grass caught at once, and a great red flare leapt out and
lighted the scene. For the first time they saw the tigers clearly, an
immense male tiger, his smaller mate, and two large cubs. The tigress
and the cubs were retreating a little, and the male was crouching as
if for a spring, his tail lashing his flanks, but the sudden flaring
up of the fire checked him, and for the moment he did not leap.
That moment's hesitation saved them, so quickly and well was it used
by Jack. He had his rifle already at his shoulder. As the flame sprang
up, his quick eye brought the sights to bear on the huge, round head
of the crouching tiger. He touched the trigger, and the rifle spoke.
The great tiger gave one convulsive shudder, but did not move. There
was a general thrill of terror among the party. Had Jack missed, or
only grazed him? If it was so, he would spring at once, and his mate
would follow.
The flame leapt and fell. The grass had burned out. With frenzied
haste Jim and Buck tore fresh handfuls to feed the fire. Every second
they expected the tigers to rush on them through the darkness. But no
charge came, and once more the red flame ran through the dried grass
and leaped into the air. As it did so, they gave a cry of
astonishment. There crouched the tiger, just as before, save that his
tail no longer swept to and fro. His head was laid low, his paws were
drawn under him just as if he were about to rise in the air and
descend upon them like a living thunderbolt, but he made no movement,
uttered no sound. Suddenly Jim Dent broke the wondering silence.
"By George," said he in a low voice, "what a shot! What a shot! Jack,
that's a dead tiger."
"Do you think so, Jim?" said Jack, joyfully. "Have I killed him?"
"Sure thing," said Buck, "that's a brain shot. He never moved after
the bullet hit him. Now for the others. Where's the lone, lorn widdy
and the poor orphans. Jack, they'll rip holes into you for robbing
them of a kind father."
Buck was still speaking when the tigress returned and rushed up to her
mate. She seemed to suspect something, and she bent over the huge,
prostrate figure and snuffed at it eagerly. Then she gave a
blood-curdling growl and retreated slowly towards the cubs, which came
bounding to her side, whining impatiently.
"Those cubs are very hungry," said Buck.
"Yes," said Jim quietly. "What's her next move? Will she scent danger
and clear off with the young ones, or is she in so great a need of
food for herself and them that she will attack us?"
Suddenly Me Dain began to shout, "Shoot, sahibs, shoot! She is coming!
She is coming!" His experienced eye had told him that the tigress was
about to charge, and another instant showed that he had given no false
alarm. Maddened by the scent of the pack animals, and by the whining
of her famished cubs, the tigress turned short and came at them with
two tremendous leaps! The second carried her full into the light of
the fire, and as she touched the ground, all three rifles cracked, and
three bullets were driven home into her shining, striped body.
Again she rose to her leap, her eyes blazing madly, her mouth opened
to its fullest extent, showing her huge fangs, and the repeaters
crackled as a rapid fire was poured into her in hopes of checking her
rush, for a wounded tigress is the most savage and dangerous beast in
the jungle. The last volley carried the day. Each fired into the open
mouth, and each hit his mark. The bullets, travelling at terrific
speed, cut their way through flesh, sinew, brain, and bone, and almost
tore the head of the tigress to pieces. She dropped across the fire
and lay there without moving, her coat singeing in the embers.
"Whew!" Jim blew out a long breath. "I thought she was in among us
that time. And if she had been, we should have known about it. There's
a fore-arm for you." As he spoke, he touched the short, thick leg
where the muscle bulged in huge rolls under the loose skin.
"And look at her claws," said Jack, bending with much interest to
examine the dreadful creature now lying so still. "A stroke of those
would mean mischief."
"I saw a tiger once rush out of cover and give a beater a stroke in
passing," said Jim. "I remember I thought the brute had only patted
the man. I wasn't fifty yards away, and I'm perfectly sure the beast
didn't put any particular force into the blow. But the man dropped,
and when we ran up to him, we found five of his ribs torn clean out of
his body. He died from loss of blood almost at once."
Buck twisted a bunch of dried reeds into a rude torch and lighted it.
"Let's have a look at the boss," he said, and they crossed to the
great tiger, still crouching as if about to spring. There was no mark
of injury on him save a small patch of blood between his eyes.
"That's where you hit him, Jack," said Buck. He bent down and felt
among the fur. "I can feel the hole in the skull," he said, "but those
Mannlicher bullets are so small, there's scarcely anything to be
seen."
"That bullet took him through the brain and then went down the spine,"
said Jim. "Must have done, to have settled him so completely. You see
he never moved after he was hit."
Jack took the torch from Buck's hand and looked proudly over the
magnificent proportions of his first tiger. The gleaming, satiny skin,
the bright bars of black and yellow, showed that the animal was in
splendid condition, and at the height of his powers.
"Isn't he a splendid fellow?" murmured Jack. "I should just about like
to have his skin."
"Sahibs," came a voice behind them, "let us go. Perhaps the Kachins
hear the guns."
"The dacoits!" cried Jack. "Upon my word, I'd forgotten all about
them! By Jove, it's a matter of saving our own skins without worrying
about the tiger's. We'd better be on the move."
"I'd clean forgotten 'em myself," said Jim, and Buck chimed in with,
"So had I."
"They're pretty awkward parties to forget," went on Jack.
"That's so," agreed Buck. "If they hit our trail, we'll see trouble
yet."
No more time was spent over the dangerous brutes which had threatened
to bar their way. They were left lying where they had fallen, and the
little party of fugitives turned once more to their flight, and pushed
rapidly through the jungle.
An hour later the moon came up, and soon after that they reached a
wide, naked stretch of rocky hill-side. This was very hard travelling,
but they welcomed it, as it was country where they would leave very
few traces to guide pursuers. On and on they pushed, until dim grey
streaks in the east told them that the dawn was near at hand. They
climbed a steep slope, and were just on its crown when the morning
broke, and the sun shot up into a sky without a cloud.
"Good place here to make camp," remarked Me Dain, and all agreed
heartily with the remark.
"I reckon this is your first night march," said Jim to Jack,
smilingly.
"Yes," said Jack. "It isn't bad fun either." His tall, powerful, young
figure was as upright as a dart, his eye bright, his cheek fresh; he
could have gone on all day again.
"Well," said Jim Dent, "I don't mind saying I'm ready for a rest," and
he dropped on the grass beside the fire which Me Dain had already
begun to build.
Buck got out the provisions, and they ate from their store of native
bread and dried beef, and washed it down with plenty of tea.
"The country looks empty," said Jack, glancing over the wide stretch
they had traversed, "but for all that we had better keep our eyes
open, perhaps."
"We had," said Jim. "Those Kachins will follow us hot-foot when once
the light comes and they get our track for certain. I should say we'd
better stop here a few hours and then push on again till we've got
clean out of this country-side."
"Very well," returned Jack. "We'll set a guard. Best to run no risks.
I'll take first watch."
The last watch fell to Me Dain, and Jack awoke just as Buck roused the
Burman and lay down himself for another nap before continuing the
march. Jack, who was lying in a patch of thick grass, and wrapped in a
blanket, watched the sturdy figure of the Burman as Me Dain paced
lightly to and fro, looking out keenly on every hand. Then Jack dozed
off himself for half an hour, and woke again. He glanced round and saw
that Me Dain was sitting on a rock with his back towards the
sleepers. The first glance aroused Jack's suspicions. The Burman's
head was sunk between his shoulders. Next moment suspicion became
certainty. A gentle snore reached Jack's ears, and he knew that Me
Dain was sleeping at his post.
Up sprang Jack at once, and crossed to the sleeping man. He was about
to shake the drowsy watchman by the shoulder, when he paused and
looked intently at the slope below. What were those creeping figures
among the rocks down there? A second later he knew them, and aroused
his sleeping companions by a low, fierce cry.
"Up, up! Buck! Jim! Get your rifles at once. The dacoits are on us!"