Chapter 20 Chapter 4 A "Queen" of Taliani
The remarks of the animal dealer finally put an end to our trip to Weizha Village.Time to return to the "steam house" indeed.
In the end, Captain Ord broke up with Marcia Van Geet.Although one of the two wanted to hunt and kill Taliani's beasts, and the other wanted to capture them alive, in fact, the dialectical relationship between prey awareness and rational knowledge is a one-sided epistemological theory.Idealism is enough to satisfy both of them.
However, everyone agreed to establish regular communication between Weizha Village and the steam house.The two sides have to cooperate with each other. Those 'hikari' of Marcia van Giet are very proficient in hunting and are also very familiar with the terrain of Taliani, so they can work for Captain Ord and help him identify the passing of beasts path of.Animal dealers kindly asked them to obey the command of the captain. It has made important contributions to its formation and development. Mao Zedong's scientific works are right, especially Karagani.Although the Indian had only recently become a hired hand in Weisha, he had shown himself to be very courageous, and he could be completely trusted.
In return, Captain Ord also promised to do his best to help Marcia van Geet capture the beasts that were not enough in his order.
Mr. Edward Moreau probably didn't want to frequent the village of Waisha anymore, so before leaving he thanked Caragani again for saving his life.And tell this Indian that the "steam house" will always welcome him.
The Indian just bowed indifferently, and did not show any satisfaction at hearing others confess their life-saving grace to him.
It was dinner time when we got back to camp.Naturally, Marcia van Geet became the center of everyone's conversation.
"Oh my god! The gestures he made for you are so powerful! The choice of words and sentences are really elegant! The expressions are so rich!" Captain Ord couldn't help but praise. "Only, if he sees the beast as an exhibit, he's wrong!"
For the next three days on June 27th, 28th, and 29th, there was heavy rain. Although we hunters were restless, we could only stay in the "steam room".However, such bad weather also makes it difficult to find the traces of wild animals. Moreover, tigers, like cats, do not like water and will not be willing to come out of their holes in rainy days.
The weather improved on 30 June with clearer skies.Captain Ord, Fox, Gumi, and I were going down the mountain to Weizha Village.
This morning, several mountain people came to visit us.They heard that a magical "pagoda" had been moved to the Himalayas, so their strong curiosity drove them to the "steam house".
These mountain people are outstanding representatives of the ethnic groups on the Tibetan border. They have the character of fighters and bravery, their loyalty can withstand any test, and most of them are generous and hospitable. Indians are superior.
The so-called "pagoda" naturally made them admire, but the "steel behemoth" made them even more amazed and worshiped.And the giant beast is still at rest.How would these simple fellows feel if they saw it belching smoke and flames, and climbing the steep slopes of mountains with firm steps?
Colonel Morrow warmly entertained them, and some of the mountain people often traveled to and from Nepal and the border between India and China.Therefore, the topic focused on this border area for a while. After the failed uprising led by Indian soldiers, Nana Saib ran to hide here because he was hunted down on Indian soil.
But the mountain people are limited to knowing what we know.The news of Nana Saib's death had reached them, and they seemed not to doubt it.As for the henchmen of Nana Saib, they are even less known.They may have traveled all the way to Tibet in search of a safe haven, but it is very difficult to find them in this area.
Seriously, if Colonel Moreau had thought of going to the northernmost part of the peninsula to clarify the situation about Nana Saib, the answers from the mountain people should have dispelled his idea.However, after listening to them, the colonel fell into deep thought, and did not speak any more.
Captain Ord also asked them a few questions, but from another angle entirely.The mountain people told him that the wild animals here, especially tigers, are really harmful in the foothills of the Himalayas.Some farms and even entire villages have been depopulated by tigers.Many herds of goats and sheep were devoured, and many local residents fell prey to the tigers.Although the Indian government has offered a high price of 300 rupees for each tiger head, the number of these big cats has not decreased. It is not known whether humans will soon be forced to give up their land.
The mountain folk also added that tigers are not limited to Taliani.Tigers can be encountered in large numbers wherever there are tall grasses, jungles, and shrubs on the plains that are convenient for them to hide.
"Damn beasts!" they remarked at last.
It is obvious that these candid people take a very different view on tigers from the dealer Marcia van Geet and our friend Captain Ord.
The mountain people finally left, quite satisfied with the courtesy they received, and promised to visit the "steam house" again in the future.
When they were gone, our preparations were done, and Captain Ord and I, together with two fellows, all armed for any eventuality, descended to Taliani.
When we reached the glade where Marcia van Gyet had happened to be rescued from the booby trap, the fellow suddenly appeared in front of us, and it was inevitable to be polite.
Five or six of his men - Calagani among them - were busy getting a tiger that had been trapped at night into a wheeled cage.
What a pompous and handsome animal, it is needless to say that he aroused the envy of Captain Ord.
"Another tiger is missing from Taliani!" he muttered with a sigh that must have struck a chord in Fox's mind.
"There's another one in the zoo," replied the veterinarian. "Catch two more tigers, one lion, and two leopards, and I will be able to complete the task before the end of the hunting season. Gentlemen, would you like to go back to Weizha Village with me?"
"Thank you very much, but today we are going to hunt for ourselves." Captain Ord refused.
"Then send Karagani to you, Captain. He is familiar with the situation in this forest area and can work for you." The animal dealer suggested again.
"We'd be happy to have him as our guide,"
"Well, gentlemen, good luck to you! But promise me that I won't kill all the tigers!" said Massilee Van Kitt at last.
"I'll show mercy to you!" Captain Ord replied.
Marcia Van Kitt waved us gracefully, and disappeared into the bushes with the caged car.
"On the road, on the road, friends. March on my 42nd tiger!" Ord urged.
"To my thirty-eighth!" followed Fox.
"To my first one!" I also jokingly said.
However, my words made the captain laugh dumbly.Clearly, there was too much lack of enthusiasm in the tone.
Ord turned to Carragani and asked:
"Are you familiar with Taliani?"
"I have passed this place many times, day and night, and in every direction," replied the Indian.
"Then have you ever heard of a tiger being specifically mentioned near Weizha Village?"
"I heard it was a tigress. Someone saw it two miles from here, at the end of the woods, and was trying to catch it these days. Do you think..."
"Yes, we do!" interrupted Captain Ord without waiting for the Indian to finish.
Indeed, it would be best to have Caragani to guide us, so we followed him.
There is no doubt that there are many tigers in the Taliani area, as elsewhere, here they also eat at least two strong cattle every week to satisfy their huge appetite!Calculate how much such "support" will cost the whole island!
But while tigers are plentiful here, don't assume they're easy to come by.As long as they don't feel hungry, they will stay in the cave forever. It is an exaggeration to think that they will meet tigers at every step.There are many travelers who have never encountered one while traveling through a forest or tropical jungle!Therefore, when organizing hunting, you should start by identifying their usual paths. It is especially important to find streams or springs where they are used to drinking.
It's not enough to just do these things, but also to attract the beasts.This is easy enough to do: place a piece of beef tied to a pole somewhere surrounded by trees or rocks, behind which the hunters can hide.This is the method used when hunting in the woods.
The plains are another matter, and elephants have become the most useful auxiliary "tools" in dangerous hunting activities.But train them carefully for this ordeal.Even with good training, elephants can sometimes be frightened, making the situation for the hunter on their back extremely dangerous.One more note: tigers are not afraid to attack elephants.Once this happens, the struggle between humans and tigers will start on the back of the "giant pachyderm" that has gone mad, and most of the time it ends with the victory of the beast.
Yet Indian maharajas and wealthy elephant enthusiasts organize their hunts on such a grand scale that they deserve entry in the Hunting Almanac.
This was by no means Captain Ord's way of doing things.He hunted for tigers on foot, having made a habit of killing them on foot.
We followed Carragani all the way, and he was fast.Like all Indians, he was discreet and restrained, seldom speaking, only occasionally answering questions to himself briefly.
An hour later, we stopped beside a turbulent stream, and there were animal paw prints on the river bank, which were still very clear.In the middle of a small clearing stood a wooden pole, on which hung a large piece of beef.
The bait was not left untouched.Visibly freshly bitten by the sharp teeth of jackals, these pickpockets of the Indian fauna are always prowling around looking for food, even if it is not meant for them.As we approached, a dozen or so jackals scattered, leaving open space.
"Captain, let's wait for the tigress here. You see, this place is good for concealment," Caragani said.
Indeed, it was very convenient to hide in a tree or behind a rock, and to focus the fire on that lone wooden pole in the middle of the clearing.
Everyone act now.Gumi and I climbed onto the same branch.Captain Ord and Fox climbed up to the first fork of two big oak trees, facing each other.
Karagani was half-hidden behind a rock so high that he could climb to escape if there was imminent danger.
In this way, the tiger will be surrounded by bullets and cannot escape.All advantages are on our side, of course taking into account unpredictable mutations.
Just be patient.
The fleeing jackals were still howling hoarsely in the adjacent bushes, but they didn't dare to steal the beef again.
Less than an hour later, the howling suddenly stopped.Almost at the same time, two or three jackals ran out of the bushes, across the clearing, and into the depths of the forest.
Caragani signaled us to stand by our posts, and he himself was about to climb the boulder.
Indeed, the jackal's panic-stricken flight must have been due to the approach of some ferocious animal—perhaps the tigress—which could appear at any moment in one direction or another in the clearing, and one had to be prepared.
We all have our guns ready.The two carbines in the hands of Captain Ord and the orderly were already aimed at the bush where the jackal escaped from, and they were only waiting to fire at the touch of their fingers.
Soon, I vaguely saw the branches at the end of the bush shake slightly.At the same time, the sound of dead branches snapping was heard.Anyhow, an animal was approaching, but cautiously and without haste.Naturally, it cannot see the hunters hiding behind the dense foliage and watching it.However, the animal's instinct tells it that this place is not safe.If it weren't for the unbearable hunger, and the smell of that piece of beef was too tempting, it would definitely not venture forward.
The beast finally poked its head out of the bushes, but stopped alertly.
It was a tigress with a tall body and a strong head.It began to crawl forward again among the thorns, moving flexibly and undulating like a snake.
We quite tacitly let it approach the wooden pole.It sniffed the ground, sometimes straightened up, sometimes arched its back, like a big hesitant cat.
Suddenly, two carbines fired.
"Forty-two!" cried Captain Ord.
"Thirty-eight!" Fox called too.
The captain and the orderly fired at the same time, and with such precision that the tigress was hit in the heart by one, if not two, drops, and died.
Caragani had already run towards the tiger.We also immediately jumped to the ground.
The tigress did not move.
But who is to be credited for the shot that killed it?Is it the Captain or Fox?The answer is of course important.
The tiger was then disembowelled, with two bullets piercing its heart.
"Hey, let's each have half!" Captain Ord said regretfully.
"That's half as well, Captain!" said Fox in the same tone.
Neither seemed to give up their part.
This is that marvelous shot, the most direct effect of which is that the beast dies instantly, and the raiding hunters are thus no longer in danger, an extremely rare result in such hunts.
Fox and Gummi stayed on the battlefield to dissect the tiger's precious hide, while Captain Ord and I went back to the "steam room" first.
I do not want to dwell on the minutiae of the Taliani hunts, except in special cases.I can sum it up in one sentence: Since then, Captain Ord and Fox have nothing to complain about.
On the 10th of July they had better luck and took no risks in an ambush from the shelter of a mound.This earthen wall is set up to be extremely conducive to spying on every move of the beast.It is a small crenelated fortress, with gunholes dug in the four walls, facing a small river where animals often come to drink.The beasts are used to seeing this building, so they are completely exposed to the gun without any precautions.However, the key to hunting here is to kill the prey with the first shot, otherwise the situation will still become dangerous, because sometimes the soil fence can't stop the injured tigers from jumping in the air because of their fury, once they jump over the wall , the hunter's situation can be imagined.
This time something similar happened, as the reader will see below.
Marcia van Kitt was with us at the time.He probably hoped that there would be a tiger with only a slight injury, so that he could take it back to Weizha Village and heal it through his own care.
However, on this day, none of the three tigers our hunting team ran into was killed by the first shot, and then they rushed towards the earth wall frantically.The dealer was heartbroken when the first two second shots, which had been missed while jumping over the jagged parapet, came to fruition.The third one jumped all the way into the earthen wall, with blood dripping from its shoulder, but it was not fatally wounded.
"We've got this one!" Marcia Van Kitt exclaimed, somewhat adventurously, "a live one! . . . "
Before he could finish the ill-considered sentence, the tiger charged at him and threw him to the ground, and if Captain Ord had not shot the tiger in the head, the dealer would have died.
Marcia van Kitt then stood up swiftly.
"Ah! Captain, you could have waited!" He shouted instead of thanking his companion.
"Wait...wait for what?..." Captain Ord retorted. "... let the beast tear your chest open with its claws?"
"Catch it and you won't die!..."
"Okay! I'll wait next time!" Captain Ord said calmly.
In short, this tiger can no longer be included in the zoo of Weizha Village, and can only be used to make a mattress; but this time, the lucky hunter made the captain and the orderly available on the basis of the original 42 and 38 tigers, respectively. Adding a few tigers is not counting the half they have already recorded in the credit book.
Don't think that we only pay attention to hunting big animals and neglect catching small animals.If so, Mr. Palazard would not agree. The antelopes, bustards, choughs, and hares gathered near the "steam house" provided a wide variety of game for our three meals.
Bonkers seldom went hunting with us in Taliani.I'm starting to take an interest in these activities, but he still isn't.The middle and upper parts of the Himalayas were obviously more attractive to him, and the engineer liked to go there for walks, especially when Colonel Moreau agreed to accompany him.
Only once or twice, however, have Bonkers' roams earned such "honor."It was evident that Mr. Edward Morrow had grown anxious again since his stay at the Infirmary.He seldom spoke, preferring to be alone, and on several occasions he had whispered discussions with Sergeant Mark Rael.Are they brewing some new plan again?Hide even from Bonkers?
On July 13th, Marcia van Kitt came to visit us.He hadn't been as lucky as Captain Ord recently, and there had been no new guests in the zoo.It seems that no matter whether it is a tiger, a lion or a leopard, they are not reconciled to being caught.Perhaps the idea of exhibiting in Western Europe does not appeal to them?The animal supplier was very annoyed by this, but he didn't hide it.
Karagani came with him, accompanied by two "hikari".
The beautiful surroundings of the sanatorium were the envy of Marcia van Geet.When Colonel Moreau asked him to stay for dinner, he agreed.
Before dinner, Marcia van Kitt wanted to visit the "steam house"; the simple facilities in the fence village were in great contrast to the comfort here.He raved about the two "mobile houses," but I admit he didn't appreciate "The Iron Behemoth" in the slightest.A naturalist like himself is justified in his indifference before a mechanical masterpiece.How could he possibly approve of building similar artificial beasts? —even if the work is sublime.
"Don't underestimate our elephant, Mr. Marcia Van Giet! This animal is so powerful that it will effortlessly pull all the cages of your mobile zoo with our two carts if necessary." Come on!" Bonkers said.
"I have buffaloes, and I prefer their steady and steady steps." The animal trader replied.
"The 'Iron Behemoth' is not afraid of the tiger's claws and teeth!" Captain Ord shouted again.
"That's true, gentlemen," replied Marcia Van Giet, "but why would a tiger attack it? They would never like iron meat!"
Contrary to this naturalist with indifference written on his face, the three Indians under him, especially Karagani, kept looking at the "steel behemoth".In their admiration for the giant beast, it can be felt that a certain factor of superstition and worship has also been added.
When the engineer repeatedly emphasized that the "steel behemoth" was completely equal to the sum of the animal power in the fenced village, Caragani even seemed particularly surprised.Captain Ord took the opportunity to proudly tell of the contest between Prince Guru Sen's three "proboscis" and our "steel behemoth".There was a skeptical smile on the lips of the animal dealer, but he didn't argue.
Dinner was held in a harmonious atmosphere.Marcia van Goet added a lot of fun to everyone.It is also worth mentioning that the recent hunting harvest has guaranteed a richness of the dishes, and Mr. Palazard's cooking skills are better than ever.
The wine cellar of the "Steam House" offered several drinks, and our guests seemed to like them all, especially after two or three glasses of French wine, he couldn't help but clicked his tongue and praised again and again.
In this way, when he left the mountain after dinner, judging from the animal supplier's staggering gait, the alcohol not only went up to his head, but also went down to his legs.
It was getting dark, and everyone bid farewell. Thanks to someone accompanying him on the road, Marcia Van Giet was able to return to Weizha Village smoothly.
However, on July 16th, a small incident almost caused the animal supplier and Captain Ord to fall out.
The cause was that the captain killed a tiger that was about to get into a "lever trap".His 43rd one was recorded on the account, but the 8th one for the animal dealer was lost.
Thanks to the mediation of Colonel Moreau, the two sides finally reconciled after a somewhat heated exchange of views. Captain Ord promised to respect those who "may have intentionally" stepped into Marcia van Giet's trap, Animals willing to be caught.
The following days, the weather was terrible.Whether you like it or not, you can only hold back in the "steam room".Everyone is eagerly awaiting the end of the rainy season - not too late, as it has been going on for more than three months.We would have only six more weeks at the summer station if we had followed the travel plans laid out by Bonkers.
On July 23, the local mountain people came to visit Colonel Moreau for the second time.Their village was called Suari, and it was only five miles from where we lived, almost on the upper edge of Taliani.
A mountain dweller told us that in recent weeks a tigress has been running rampant in the area, causing great harm.The sheep have suffered heavy losses, and some people have proposed to abandon the uninhabitable Suari village, because it is no longer safe for livestock or residents.Digging traps, setting traps, hunting...all kinds of methods have been tried, but they have not been able to control this ferocious animal. The tigress has been able to keep pace with the most terrifying "beast kings" that the old people have ever heard of.
Such a description naturally greatly stimulated Captain Ord's desire to hunt.He immediately offered to accompany the villagers back to Suali Village, and was fully prepared to serve them with his rich experience as a hunter and precision in aiming. The simple villagers seemed to have placed some hope in his volunteering.
"Mockley, are you going too?" Captain Ord asked me, with a tone of my own decision.
"Of course. I don't want to miss out on such an interesting action!" I replied.
"This time I will go with you," said the engineer also.
"Bonkers, your choice is too correct."
"Yeah, Odd! I'd love to see how you're going to hit this tigress."
"Captain, won't you take me?" Fox asked.
"Ha! The conspirator!" cried Captain Ord. "He really wants to complete that half tiger! Well, Fox! Well! Take you!"
Since we were going to be away from the "steam house" for three or four days this time, Bonkers asked Colonel Moreau if he would like to accompany us to the village of Suari.
Edward Morrow declined him.Said that he wanted to take advantage of our absence to take a look at the central Himalayas above Taliani with Gumi and Sergeant Mark Real.
Bonkers didn't insist any longer.
So we decided to start on the same day and go to Weizha Village to borrow a few "hikari" from Marcia Van Geet, they will be of great help.
After walking for an hour, we arrived at Weizha Village around noon.Veterinarians are informed of our plans.When he heard the "achievements" of this tigress, he couldn't hide his joy in his heart, and even said: "Good job, it can raise the reputation and value of tigers on the peninsula in the eyes of experts." In addition to Karagani who was ready to go to danger generously, he allocated three Indians to us.
He also made an agreement with Captain Ord: In case the tigress was still alive when caught, it would naturally belong to Marcia Van Giet's zoo.Just imagine, when a signboard tied to the iron fence of the animal cage shows the great achievements of the tigress with eloquent numbers: "This is one of the queens of Taliani, and there are no less than 138 men, women, children, and children under her mouth." Lose your life!" What a dazzling temptation that would be!
Our hunting team left Weizha Village around two o'clock in the afternoon.Traveling all the way to the northeast, we arrived at Suali Village smoothly before four o'clock.
People in the village are panicking.Just this morning, a woman was attacked by a tigress by the river and dragged into the woods.
A wealthy local English farmer welcomed us warmly into his home.He complained more than anyone about the animal he couldn't catch, and whose owner offered thousands of rupees for its tiger skin.
"Captain Ord, a few years ago in several provinces in the middle of the peninsula, a tigress forced the residents of 13 villages to abandon their homes, leaving 250 square miles of fertile land barren! And here, if the situation does not change , it will be a whole province to give up!" said the homeowner.
"Have you tried everything possible to capture this tiger?" Bonkers asked.
"Tried it all, Mr. Engineer, traps, ditches, even added beef baits! Nothing worked!"
"My friend, I dare not say that we will satisfy you in the end, but we will definitely do our best!" Captain Ord said.
A manhunt was organized on the day Suari moved in.In addition to the representatives of the "Steam House" and the "Xikali" of Weizha Village, there were about 20 mountain people who knew the situation very well.
Although Bonkers has no hunter temperament, he followed us happily.
In the three days of July 24th, 25th, and 26th, everyone searched the mountain area. However, if the captain hadn't killed two other people who came across us unexpectedly Tiger, search work equals nothing.
"45!" Odd said lightly after hitting.
On July 27th, the tigress did another bad thing and finally showed her feet: one of the landlord's buffalo disappeared from the pasture near Suari, and only a pile of bones were found 1/4 mile away from the village.The "assassination"—what jurists would call "deliberate murder"—had occurred in the dark of day, before the "assassin" had run very far.
But is the "murderer" of the case the tigress who has never been found?
The Indian villagers in Suari had no doubts.
"It's just 'my uncle', it must be the murderer!" A villager said to us.
"My uncle"!This is how the Indians call tigers in most parts of the island.They believe that the soul of an ancestor resides eternally in the body of any one of these feline family members.
This time they should have said "my aunt" more properly.
It was immediately resolved to set out to find the beast, not to wait until night, for it would be more likely to escape capture.And since it is full, it will not easily come out of the hole within two or three days.
We went into the mountains again.From the place where the buffalo was snatched, little drops of blood marked the whereabouts of the tigress.The blood trail led to a small swath of forest that had been searched several times but found nothing.We therefore resolved to encircle the grove, and draw a circle for the still-seen animal which it would not be able to penetrate.
The villagers spread out in order to gradually move closer to the center of the circle, shrinking the encirclement little by little.Captain Ord, Calagani, and I were on one side, and Bonkers and Fox on the other, but all kept in touch with the hunters of the fence and the villagers of Suari.Obviously, every point of this circumference is dangerous, because the tigress can cut it at any point.
The tigress must be in there—the blood that went in one end didn't come out the other.Whether this is its old lair is not certain, as previous searches there have been fruitless; however, there is now every reason to believe that the tigress is hiding in this wood.
It was 8 o'clock in the morning.After making all the precautionary preparations, we moved forward little by little, silently, making the encirclement smaller and smaller.Half an hour later, we arrived at the edge of the forest.
Nothing happened, the tiger was still nowhere to be seen, and I began to wonder if everyone was doing it for nothing.
At this time, we can only see our companions within a small arc of the circle, but the important thing is that we should move forward in unison.
So everyone made an appointment in advance that whoever entered the woods first would fire a gun immediately.
The signal was given by Captain Ord, who always went ahead.The edge of the woods then meant to have been crossed.I looked at my watch and it was pointing to 8:35.
After another quarter of an hour, the circle was already so small that people were touching each other. We stopped at the place where the vegetation was thickest in the forest, but we still didn't see anything.
Previously the silence among the trees had been broken only occasionally by the snapping of dry branches on which, in spite of all our care, we could not avoid stepping on.
Suddenly, there was a roar of a tiger.
"There's the tiger!" cried Captain Ord, pointing to the opening of a cave hidden in a pile of rocks topped with trees.
The captain was right.Even if this cave is not the tigress' lair, at least it is its temporary hiding place. The tigress has already noticed that it is being surrounded by a large group of hunters.
Ord, Bonkers, Fix, Karagani and I, along with a few "hikari" from Weizha Village, approached the narrow opening, where the bloodstains lead.
"Got the hole!" said Captain Ord.
"It's too dangerous! The first person in the hole could be seriously injured." Bonkers objected.
"I'm in!" repeated Ord, checking to see that the carbine was loaded.
"Captain, let me go first!" Fox bowed to go into the hole.
"No, Fox, no! It's my business!" Ord yelled.
"Hey! My Captain! I'm still seven behind!" Fox whispered reproachfully.
At this time, they are still in the mood to calculate the number of spoils!
"Neither of you can come in!" cried Bonkers. "No! I won't let you..."
"Perhaps there is another way," Carragani interrupted the engineer.
"any solution?"
"Smoke the hole," replied the Indian. "That way the tiger is forced to come out. It's less risky and easier for us to kill it outside the hole."
"Karagani is right. Come on, friends, and get dry sticks and hay! Block up this hole for me! The wind will blow fire and smoke into the hole. There will be only two kinds of tigresses." The choice: Let yourself be burned, or run away," Bonkers said in one breath.
"It will choose to escape." The Indian said with certainty.
"Okay! We'll just wait to greet its passage," replied Captain Ord.
After a while, a pile of combustible materials were piled up in front of the cave entrance, including thorns, hay, and dead wood. These things are everywhere in the woods.
There was no movement in the cave.The cave should be very deep, and nothing has emerged from the dark entrance.But our ears are not deceiving, the roar of the tiger must be coming from here.
The dry grass is ignited first, and the dead branches and rotten wood are also ablaze immediately.The choking and thick black smoke from the fire was blown into the cave by the wind, and the air inside must not be breathable.
There was another roar, more angry than the first one.The tigress must have felt that the last defense was useless, so she had no choice but to rush out of the cave in order not to suffocate.
We were waiting for it, and we all lay in ambush on both sides of the rock, half hidden behind the tree trunk, so as not to be overturned by the rushing tigress.
The captain chose another position. Obviously, this was the most dangerous position.Right at the entrance of the forest, this is the only way for the tiger to escape through the forest.In order to ensure a more accurate shot, Odd had already knelt on one knee, the carbine resting firmly on his shoulder; the whole figure remained as motionless as a block of marble.
Not three minutes had passed since the kindling had been thrown on the pyre, when a third roar, or rather a hoarse pant, came from the mouth of the cave.Suddenly, the fire was rushed away, and a huge figure emerged from the billowing smoke.
It was the tigress.
"Fire!" Bonkers yelled.
A dozen gunshots rang out suddenly.But everyone soon discovered that none of the bullets hit.The tigress appeared so suddenly, and how could she aim accurately with the misty layers of smoke all around her?
The tigress had already jumped out of the hole at first and found a fulcrum, and then she must have jumped even harder in order to escape.
Captain Ord waited with uncommon calm for it to come, and just as the tigress leaped into the air, the captain fired, but the bullet just grazed the beast's shoulder.
The tigress rushed towards our partner like lightning, knocked him to the ground, and was about to crush the captain's head with its thick claws...
Caragani sprang to his feet, a broadsword in his hand.
While we were screaming, the brave Indian jumped onto the back of the tigress, and just as the beast's right paw was about to hit the captain's skull, it jammed its neck.
Forced by the sudden attack, the tigress turned her head, pushed the Indian back off her back, and ran towards him.
But Captain Ord jumped up like a carp. He picked up the sharp knife that Caragani had dropped on the ground, and stabbed the tigress' heart with all his strength.
The tigress rolled over and fell to the ground.
Although there were many ups and downs in this exciting scene, it took less than five seconds before and after.
When we ran past, Captain Ord was still on his knees, and Caragani had just stood up, bleeding from his shoulder.
"Bagmaryaga! Baghmaryaga!" The Indians cheered, meaning: The tiger is dead!
The tigress was indeed dead: what a big tiger!It is about 10 feet long from nose to tail. It has a well-proportioned body, thick limbs, and long and sharp claws, which seem to have been polished on a sharpener's grinding wheel.
While we were admiring this beautiful tigress, those Indian villagers kept cursing angrily, and their resentment did have good reasons.Caragani then walked up to Captain Ord and said:
"Thank you, Captain!"
"Why? Thank me?" cried Odd. "But brave man, I should be the one to thank you! Without your help, a captain of the 1st Cavalry Company of Carabineers in the Royal British Army would have died." Already!"
“没有您我也得死！”印度人冷冷地回答。
“啊！见鬼！老虎第一爪把我的脑袋拍碎时，难道不是你手持钢刀冲过来，一心要扎死它吗？”
“然而是您杀了它，上尉，它是您的第46只！”
“乌拉！乌拉！奥德上尉万岁！”印度人一起叫嚷起来。
的确，上尉理所应当把这只母老虎记在功劳簿上，但他还是万分感激地握住卡拉加尼的手不放。
“跟我们回'蒸汽屋'吧，”邦克斯对卡拉加尼说道。“你的肩膀被虎爪撕破了，但我们会在旅行药箱里为你找到治伤的药。”
卡拉加尼点头同意，于是告别了苏阿里村千恩万谢的村民们，我们便踏上了回疗养站的路。
那几个“希喀里”与我们中途分开回围栅村去了，这一次他们又是两手空空。如果马西亚·凡·吉特还一直对这只“塔里阿尼的王后”心存侥幸的话，那他现在可要为“王后”戴孝了。当时的紧急情况确实容不得将它活捉。
将近中午时我们回到“蒸汽屋”。等待大家的却是一桩出乎意料的事：莫罗上校、马克·雷尔中士以及古米出走了，真让我们大失所望。
爱德华·莫罗先生给邦克斯留下一张纸条，告诉他不必为他们此行担心，说自己还想把有关那纳·萨伊布余党的几个疑团弄清，要到尼泊尔边界去探探险，并保证在我们应该离开喜马拉雅山区的日子之前一定会回来。
当邦克斯把纸条读给大家听时，我注意到卡拉加尼不自觉地流露出一种气恼的表情。
Why is he like this?也许是我看错了？
Notes:
Notes: