13 Tiger Adventure by Willard Price

get me. I’ll be on a machan up in a tree. I may have to stay there all night. I thought you ought to know, so you wouldn’t come hunting for me.’
    Hal said, ‘Listen, kid brother. You’re too young to challenge the king of beasts.’
    ‘I’m going to try,’ Roger said. ‘If you have any advice to give me, spill it now.’
    Hal saw that his brother was determined. ‘I wish I could go with you,’ he said, ‘but I’ve got to stick here with my patients. If you must go, here are a few tips. Build your tree platform, what they call a machan, about twenty feet up in the tree. Just remember that a tiger can make a leap straight up fifteen feet. If you build your platform at less than fifteen feet, he’ll get you. There are some boards near the cabin. You’re a good carpenter -I know you’ll make a good solid machan so if you go to sleep you won’t fall off. Take a sleep-gun with you. And be sure to dress warmly. With the wind coming down from the snows on the mountains, you need to have plenty on in order to keep warm. Take a torch so that you can see the animal plainly when you shoot.’
    ‘Is that all?’
    That’s all I can tell you. After you put the tiger to sleep, how are you going to hoist him on to the truck? He’ll weigh about a quarter of a ton. I don’t know how you’re going to do it. I don’t believe you can, so why not just give up this crazy idea?’
    ‘No thanks,’ Roger replied. ‘I’ll figure out a way to get him up on to the truck.’
    Take care of yourself. Your mother and father would never forgive me if anything happened to you.’
    Roger drove back to the cabin to get what he needed - the boards, nails, a hammer, torch and sleep-gun - also a couple of extra sweaters to put on when the night became cold.
    Then he drove back to the kill. He climbed a tree not far from the dead chital, and about twenty feet up he found two level branches that would make a good support for his machan. He got to work at once, but it was sunset before he finished his job.
    Then he lay down and rested. But it was a restless rest. He was tormented by the problem that his brother had not been able to solve. Suppose the tiger came and ate, and was put to sleep - what then?
    Roger wondered how he was going to get a beast four times his own weight up into the truck.
    Suddenly it came to him. He climbed down the tree, went to the remains of the chital, picked them up one piece at a time, and put them into the back of the truck. Then he clambered back to his platform.
    He was welcomed by a low growl. It was now quite dark but Roger recognised that growl. It was the same as the voice of the leopard who was already in a cage.
    A leopard had found his platform and considered it a very convenient place to spend the night. Roger could not see the animal but the leopard had very keen eyes and was a night animal, quite able to see Roger. It slashed out at his head and came away with its claws full of hair. Roger had wanted a haircut but hadn’t expected to get it from a leopard.
    He turned on his torch and focused the light straight into the leopard’s eyes. This form of attack was new to the leopard and it didn’t like it. It backed off to the tree trunk, scratched its way down to the ground and Roger could hear it sneaking off through the bushes.
    The boy took his place on the platform that had already been warmed up for him. It didn’t stay warm, and it was necessary to put on the two sweaters.
    Now there was nothing to do but wait, wait, wait.
    No matter how hot the day, a night in India can be really cold. Especially with the snow-covered Himalayas acting like a refrigerator.
    Hours passed. Still no sign of the tiger. And no sound. Roger shivered and shifted trying to find a position that was comfortable. He strained his eyes and ears until they felt like tentacles reaching out towards the truck.
    Was it all worth while? It was dinner time. He should be in the warm cabin, eating, instead of chattering like a