We continued on our way, when the tiger again came out into the nullah; and this time, as it stood and looked at us, it was growling and twitching its tail. We again stood quite still, and after a time the tiger quietened down and left the nullah. A little later a number of jungle fowl rose cackling out of the dense scrub, evidently disturbed by the tiger, and one of – them came and sat on a tree right in front of us. As the bird alighted on a branch in full view of us, Har Singh said he would shoot it and so avoid going home empty-handed. He added that the shot would frighten away the tiger,... Show more

We continued on our way, when the tiger again came out into the nullah; and this time, as it stood and looked at us, it was growling and twitching its tail. We again stood quite still, and after a time the tiger quietened down and left the nullah. A little later a number of jungle fowl rose cackling out of the dense scrub, evidently disturbed by the tiger, and one of – them came and sat on a tree right in front of us. As the bird alighted on a branch in full view of us, Har Singh said he would shoot it and so avoid going home empty-handed. He added that the shot would frighten away the tiger, and before I could stop him he had fired.
Next second there was a terrifying roar as the tiger came towards us crashing through broken branches. At this spot there were some rani trees growing on the edge of the nullah, and I dashed towards one while Har Singh dashed towards another. My tree was nearer the tiger, but before it arrived I had climbed out of reach. Har Singh had not learnt to climb trees when he was a boy, as I had. He was still standing on the ground, reaching up and trying to grasp a branch, when the tiger, after leaving me, sprang at him. Har Singh was screaming and the tiger was roaring. I had taken my gun into the tree with me, so now I fired the gun off into the air. On hearing the shot so close to it, the tiger bounded away, and Har Singh collapsed at the foot of the tree.
When the tiger had been gone some time, I climbed down very silently, and went to Har Singh. I found that one of the tiger's claws had entered his stomach and torn the lining from his navel to within a few fingers' breadth of the backbone, and that all his insides had fallen out. I was in great trouble. I could not run away and leave Har Singh. I did not know what to do with his intestines, not having any experience in these matters. Har Singh told me to put them back into his stomach. I stuffed them all back, including the dry leaves and grass and twigs that were sticking to them. After I had done that I wound my pugree round his stomach, knotting it tight to keep everything from falling out again. Then we set out on the seven-mile walk to our village, myself in front, carrying the two guns, while Har Singh walked behind. (439 words)

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