When he had done this, he hollowed to us to
return: which, after some assurance of his victory, we did, and
found him lunging out the sword from the bosom of the tiger, who was
laid in her blood on the ground; he took up the club, and with an
unconcern that had nothing of the joy or gladness of a victory, he
came and laid the whelp at my feet. We all extremely wondered at his
daring, and at the bigness of the beast, which was about the height of
an heifer, but of mighty great and strong limbs.
Another time being in the woods, he killed a tiger which had long
infested that part, and borne away abundance of sheep and oxen, and
other things that were for the support of those to whom they belonged:
abundance of people assailed this beast, some affirming they had
shot her with several bullets quite through the body, at several
times; and some swearing they shot her through the very heart, and
they believed she was a devil rather than a mortal thing. Caesar had
often said he had a mind to encounter this monster, and spoke with
several gentlemen who had attempted her; one crying, "I shot her
with so many poisoned arrows," another with his gun in this part of
her, and another in that; so that he, remarking all these places where
she was shot, fancied still he should overcome her by giving her
another sort of a wound than any had yet done, and one day said (at
the table), "What trophies and garlands, ladies, will you make me,
if I bring you home the heart of this ravenous beast, that eats up all
your lambs and pigs?" We all promised he should be rewarded at all our
hands.
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