“That must be ’cause he isn’t hungry,” remarked Jim.

“Then I should think he would go away and leave us.”

“Don’t you understand?  We’re tender, and juicier than that old man.”

“Jingo! if that’s what he’s after, I’m going to shoot.”

Tom again sighted along the barrel; but at the moment his finger began pressing the trigger, the beast rose to his feet and looked directly at the house, as if trying to decide the best avenue of entering,—­the door, the windows, or possibly the chimney.

He formed a striking picture, this fearful king of the jungle, whose terrific strength, as scientific tests have proven, is one-fifth greater than that of the African lion.  His massive head was erect; his eyes shone, and his sinewy, graceful body, covered with its soft, velvety and spotted fur was like the beauty of some deadly serpent.  His long tail slightly swayed from side to side, and, although the boys could not hear it, they were sure he was growling in his anger.

Once his blood-red tongue was projected for an instant from his mouth, and licked his jaws, as the cat species are fond of doing; and occasionally he moved his head from side to side.

“He means to chaw us all up,” said Jim.  “Why don’t you fire?”

At that instant Tom Gordon pressed the trigger.

Chapter III.

The shot, however, was a poor one.

The bullet struck the tiger, wounding him slightly, but not enough to disable him.  Naturally it added to the fury of the beast, and really increased the peril of the people within the humble home, against whom the brute seemed to have formed a strong and curious antipathy.

He wheeled about, leaped the fence behind him, galloped a number of paces, and then paused abruptly, with his head up, and stared at the building, as if trying to learn the point whence the shot came, that he might punish the offenders.

“Gracious!” exclaimed Jim Travers, “he’s going to jump up here and eat us up!  Let’s run.”

“Where’ll we run?” was the sensible question of Tom.  “I’d load up again, but the powder and bullets are down-stairs, and before I could do it he’d be on us, if he means to jump into this window.”

The halt of the tiger was only momentary.  He trotted round to the rear of the house, vanishing from sight for the moment.

A brilliant idea struck Jim Travers.

“I can do better than that, Tom,” he called out, clattering down-stairs.  “Come with me, and I’ll show you.”

“Are you going to try to look him in the eye?” asked Tom, following after him, and scarcely less excited than he.  “It won’t work.”

But the other lad paid no attention to the inquiry, so flurried was he over his new scheme for frightening off the dreaded beast.

The closing of the shutters on the lower floor, as we have explained, cast it in deep shadow.  The mother had been so thorough in her work, that all the three rooms were thus obscured.  Aunt Cynthia had lit a lamp, which sat on the table, and served to light up the interior.