70 The Tiger on the Hudson.

village not very far away and there were herds of
cattle, stray monkeys, and occasional children.
Ah, those happy days, long-gone, long-gone.”
(The Tiger seemed to be full of feeling.) ‘“ Each
morning we all went down to the river Ganges for
a drink, I leading the way, followed by my gentle
wife and my three beautiful children. Then back
again, and if game was at hand, and I kept the
larder well stocked, we ate our breakfast. My wife
was busy all the morning, teaching the little ones
to hunt, and they did well, the dear little things—
they were my children. They killed the smaller
creatures, and once, one of them, perhaps the
bravest of the three, brought in a small monkey,
which he himself had killed, unaided. You can
imagine what a proud day that was for his mother
and me. Oh, my tender wife, and innocent
children, where are you now?” (Here the Tiger
sobbed aloud.)

“Well,” he continued, when able to speak,
“one night I was crouching near the village,
watching for prey, when I overheard a conversation
between two natives. It seemed that a white