Guided only by a native tiffin, upon whom he showered an astonishing
profusion of opprobrious epithets, Mr. Jacobs went forth in the dark
and stilly night, and slaughtered a huge man-eating tiger, for whose
ears Miss Eastinhoe had expressed a singular, but well-defined
longing. The beast measured twenty-four feet, and, by stretching the
story a little, I was able to say twenty-seven.
"My dear fellow," I said, "I am sincerely glad to see you back alive."
"Thank you, old man," he said, falling easily into English slang. "Do
you know I have a superstition that I must fulfil every wish of hers.
Besides, the skin will fetch a capital price."
"I adore you," murmured Miss Eastinhoe. "I shall have the ears
pickled."