being the most likely to possess what he required either became very
immoderately and disagreeably amused at the nature of the request, or
regarded it as a new and ill-judged form of ridicule, which they
prepared to avenge by blows and by base remarks of the most personal
variety. At length it became unavoidably obvious to the youth that if
he was to obtain the articles in question it would first be necessary
that he should become adept in the art of slaying tigers, for in no
other way were the required conditions likely to be present. Although
the prospect was one which did not greatly tend to allure him, yet he
did not regard it with the utterly incapable emotions which would have
been present on an earlier occasion; for the habit of continually
guarding himself from the onslaughts of those who received his inquiry
in an attitude of narrow-minded distrust had inspired him with a new-
found valour, while his amiable and unrestrained manner of life
increased his bodily vigour in every degree. First perfecting himself
in the use of the bow and arrow, therefore, he betook himself to a
wild and very extensive forest, and there concealed himself among the
upper foliage of a tall tree standing by the side of a pool of water.
On the second night of his watch, the youth perceived a large but
somewhat ill-conditioned tiger approaching the pool for the purpose of
quenching its thirst, whereupon he tremblingly fitted an arrow to his
bowstring, and profiting by the instruction he had received, succeeded
in piercing the creature to the heart. After fulfilling the observance
laid upon him by the discriminating Poo-chow, the youth determined to
remain in the forest, and sustain himself upon such food as fell to
his weapons, until the time arrived when he should carry out the rite
for the last time. At the end of seven days, so subtle had he become
in all kinds of hunting, and so strengthened by the meat and herbs
upon which he existed, that he disdained to avail himself of the
shelter of a tree, but standing openly by the side of the water, he