blood-thirsty aninial, and his screams for help filled the little
town. The morning light showed traces of the struggle between man
and beast, and where the latter had been dragged from the main road.

The villagers did puja that night that all might be saved from a like
fate. A few days after, a ploughman and a little boy stood talking
about the tiger. "How do you know that he won't catch you?" asked
the boy.

The ploughman answered confidently: "I have done puja". Barely had
the words passed his lips than the tiger leapt upon him. The boy was
startled, but not realising his own danger not only did he not run
but also caught up a stick and tried to save his friend. In spite
of his hitting it the animal began to devour the unfortunate man,
snarling threateningly the while. Then the boy threw away the stick
and fled to the village. The news roused the villagers and they
determined to try to rid themselves of their foe. Armed with spears,
sticks and heavy bamboos they followed the boy to the scene of the
tragedy. But the tiger was gone.

The Government had offered a handsome reward to any one who would
succeed in killing this tiger and now a poor shop-keeper determined
to win it. He knew nothing of shooting but worked up the ambition
of a friend who could shoot and had a couple of guns. Together they
essayed the difficult job. Difficult it was. The tiger seldom returned
to his kill, nor stopped at a kill any length of time, and was known
to have killed three or four victims in one day.

However they hoped for success. The villagers had been very careful
of late and the tiger had consequently been obliged to go hungry. It