Dick stretched his right hand forward, took a steady aim, and fired. A
sharp snarl showed that the shot had taken effect. He dropped the
pistol, snatched the other from his mouth, waited for a moment until
he could make out the tiger, fired again, and at once dropped to the
ground, just as a great body flashed from the window above him.
He and Surajah had both had their matchlocks slung over their
shoulders, and before the tiger could recover from its spring, they
levelled and fired. The tiger rolled over, but regained its feet and
made towards them. One of the bullets had, however, struck it on the
shoulder and disabled the leg. Its movements were therefore
comparatively slow, and they had time to leap aside. Surajah
discharged his pistol into its ear, while Dick brought down his keen
sword, with all his strength, upon its neck; and the tiger rolled
over, dead.
A mighty shout rose from the crowd.
"We had better be off," Dick said, "or we shall have all sorts of
questions to answer."
They slipped through the hole in the net again, but were so surrounded
by people, cheering and applauding them, that they could not extricate
themselves; and a minute later some soldiers ran up, pushed through
the crowd to them, and surrounded them.
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