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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.
Tera wondered what had become of Tranta, but, as she was very sleepy and tired, the day passed on, and his absence caused her no uneasiness. She was a little surprised that he did not appear in the evening, but finally wandered out by herself, and was fortunate enough to come across a fine bullock. She did not take any of it to her little ones this time.
A short distance from the shore a small ship was lying at anchor, and Tranta cunningly made straight for it. But at night he crept over the side of the ship and swam to shore, and, as he scrambled out of the water, a well-directed shot killed him. He was a fine specimen of a tiger, and, as his leg had only been broken, his skin was unharmed, and later occupied a place of honor in a palace.
Meanwhile, Tranta, who had found a particularly nice korinda bush, and crept into it, considered himself safe. He knew the beaters were 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.
She knew perfectly well that too much meat would not be good for them, so gave them their usual evening meal of nice warm milk. Tera was a little uneasy all through that night, as Tranta did not return, but she took it very calmly. She had been growing indifferent to him lately, and the cares of her growing family were taking up all her attention.
The grass waved as before, and no human eye would have been able to discover anything but grass, but in another moment a second striped, tawny body came forth, somewhat smaller than Tranta, but marked in the same way, and moving with the same lithe, noiseless steps. This was Tera Tranta's wife and she was one of the fiercest tigresses for miles round.
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.
As the days went on and Tranta did not appear, Tera forgot all about her husband, and devoted all her time and attention to her cubs. She waited another week or two, and then, after studying their size and strength, she concluded that it was quite time to teach them how to hunt and kill for themselves.
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, turned round and made swiftly for the river.
His large, round head, with its small, upstanding ears, was marked much in the same way; while his fine whiskers gave him the appearance of a huge cat, and so in a way he was, for he belonged to the cat tribe and had all the instincts of the race. It was beginning to grow dusk, but Tranta was early to-night.
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