coming; he had heard them when they were doing their best to lure Tera
forth, so he crouched still closer in his hiding-place.

As the noise stopped he knew, with his tiger instinct, that they would
soon find him out, and they appeared sooner than he expected. Then the
howls, screams and banging made the worst and most terrifying noise he
had ever heard in a tiger hunt. He was pretty sure of himself. He had
had some narrow escapes before this, but so far had always managed to
get out safely. So, in spite of the noise, he kept perfectly still.

But these beaters were very daring. They not only came close to the
_korinda_ bush, but they actually parted the branches, and the noise
became so terrible and deafening that at last Tranta grew bewildered,
and sprang out, scarcely knowing what he was doing, and not caring
much, either.

He wished now that he had stayed in the jungle. Certainly the hunters
could have seen him, but he might have crept off in some way. But now
he had no time to think, for, as he sprang out, there was a sharp
"Bang," followed by a "Ping! ping! ping!" and Tranta suddenly felt a
sharp pain in his leg.

The pain was so great that he was obliged to go on three legs and hold
up the fourth, which hung in a limp manner and hurt him dreadfully.
The fright and shock maddened him, and he turned and faced the hunters
defiantly, snarling in his fiercest way and showing his huge mouth and
cruel teeth. But, as he turned, there was another "Ping! ping!"--a
flash of fire almost in his eyes, and Tranta reeled.

The next instant he recovered himself, and, not liking the fire,