go and beat up the quarters of a tigress with cubs, whom I had fired at some six months before on foot, and as in this part of the country they rarely leave their old haunts unless wounded, there was every chance of finding her again; so off we sent our men to get intelligence as to her whereabouts, and sent our tents to a village about ten miles distant from the spot where we expected to find her, with the intention of beating the hills for bears till our scouts rejoined us. The first day two bears fell to our rifles. The following morning, Gwas a little in advance of me, standing on the edge of a deep ravine, when I saw him level and take a deliberate aim with his heavy double-barrel. The first missed fire, and the second sent a magnificent panther bounding across me at the distance of sixty or seventy yards. I gave her a volley, but on she went uninjured. G- had seen her basking on the rock below. I jumped on my horse, and, rifle in hand, rode after her to keep her in sight, which she enabled me to do easily, every now and then stopping to look at me. I saw her safe into a small cave on the side of a ravine. We could, with the aid of an opera-glass, just make out the tips of her ears, and fired six shots from the opposite side of the ravine at her before she would condescend to stir. At last out she came, savage enough, and at us like lightning. We each fired the contents of our three double-barrels, and stopped her charge when about ten yards from us. We bolted to re-load behind some trees; and when we returned she again came at us, and was again rolled over. The third time she sprang to within three yards of us, and dropped dead at our feet. Thirteen bullets. had struck her; two of which had gone through her tail. A gamer brute rarely falls to a sportsman's lot to meet.

Shortly after we killed a fine bear, and started another, who made off. I rode after him, and fired no less than five shots from horseback without effect: galloping over rough ground unsteadies one's aim. At last I lost sight of him, and, having only one barrel loaded, was on the point of rejoining my friend, when I sighted a fine blue bull neilghie. Riding down the side of the hill, my coat caught in one of the thick thorny bushes, and out jumped Bruin, standing on his hind legs, within a yard of me, and in a minute would have had me off the horse. Instinctively the rifle was placed against his brawny chest, and my only remaining bullet went slap into the horse-shoe. Round went my adversary, and when the beaters arrived they found him about fifty yards from where he had stopped me. After this I rolled over a mangy old hyena, going as hard as he could: pretty shot of nearly two hundred yards.

On the morrow we got news of the tigress, and went to the ground with one elephant. We saw more than once a tiger's skin moving about in the bushes on a rock, some thirty feet high, and fired, apparently without effect. At last, out came the old lady, and a magnificent sight she was. We had killed two of her cubs; and infuriated at the sight of her dead young, she stood lashing her sides with her tail, her fangs glistening, and the sun shining on her beautiful skin. Down she came, with a roar which made the rocks ring, trying to jump on the elephant's head; and would have done so, had not a well-directed ball from G- broke her shoulder, and then she was soon despatched. The third cub, rather more than

half-grown, charged in the most gallant style up to the very feet of the elephant; and the four were on their way to the tents on the elephant's back in less than half-an-hour from the time the first shot was fired.

The third day I went out alone, and put up three bears. The first died with one shot. The other two charged me together round a ridge of rocks. I took a steady aim at the leading one, and gave him the contents of both barrels in his shoulder. Before I could cock my spare gun, after pitching my discharged one at the second bear's head, the brute was on me, and got me down on the ground. In the struggle the gun went off, whether by accident or my own act I never knew, but a two-ounce ball went through Bruin's belly; and luckily for me, in his rage he laid hold of and tore the stump of a small tree against which I had fallen, no doubt fancying it was my leg. This gave me time to cock, and fire the remaining ball through his neck, when he left me, to my great delight. I escaped with no serious. damage to anything but my nerves, which did not feel the thing for a day or two after.

PHEASANT

SHOOTING.

PLATE I.-THE RISE.

ENGRAVED BY E. HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY HARRISON_WEIR.

Now, Mr. Pope, if you please!—

"See from the brake the whirring pheasant springs !

And mounts exulting on triumphant wings.

Short is his joy; he feels"

But that must do for the present, as the numbering of our plate shows there is more to come.

Mr. Weir is something of the Morland of his time-a famous hand at grouping rural scenes, but not often with any great feeling of the sportsman. He is especially good in his association of Shorthorns, Herefords, Southdowns, and other high-bred cattle, which he dresses up for the Argus-eyed patrons of the Illustrated News. He turns, again, with all the relish of a connoisseur to the faithful record of what fancy poultry now, are-dwelling on the Adonis form of the Cochin, the varmint look of the game-cock, and the wondrous fashioning of a perfect pigeon. Of the last of these, he has himself, we believe, for some time been a successful exhibitor. Lopeared rabbits and Aylesbury ducks have come as much within his range; but we here fly him at a little higher game, in which the same tasty treatment and faithful execution are observable.

Now then, young gentleman, there's a fair open shot for you! He rises favourably enough in plate the first. Another shifting of the scene will tell the story out.

CHARLEY SCUPPER'S RACING YACHT.

CHAPTER V.

We are unwilling to mingle love affairs too freely with yachting, although it frequently happens that both row together in the same boat; the generality of bachelor yachtsmen being very gallant lovers; and in this instance particularly, the two are so inseparably blended, that we offer no further apology to our readers in laying before them some of Charley Scupper's adventures ashore, as well as the more stirring scenes of his yachting career.

Charley had not been on intimate terms with the good people of Littleborough many months, ere he discovered he had more than one rival to contend with, in his desire to win the affections of the pretty Clara. Besides his rival Harry Vare, a knight of ancient family and distinction had long been aspiring to the hand of the fair beauty of Littleborough Hall. Sir Reginald Runwall, of Doningale Park, was a gentleman of eccentric habits and rather unusual stamp: sufficient care had not been taken in his early training and education, consistent with his means and position in society; nor had those deficiences been supplied by after-study. Sir Reginald's habits were quiet and reserved, but never studious. He was fond of sporting pursuits, especially shooting. He had as many guns in his house as would stock a small shop in Bond-street; and in the use of such weapons he was particularly skilful. He was very partial to his dogs; nor would he ever part with an old and faithful animal, but had a detached building on his premises devoted exclusively to old and invalided dogs, which he called his " superannuation kennel." Sir Reginald was of middle stature, light hair, wellformed features, round face, and rather inclined to corpulency. Such was the man who for upwards of two years had been paying marked attention to Clara Littleborough; and although that lady regarded Sir Reginald in the light of an old and esteemed friend, and had given him some little encouragement in return for his professions of love, in vain did she endeavour to wrestle with her feelings to kindle an affection for him in her heart, and show it with becoming sincerity. There was something about him repulsive to her, which it would have been difficult to explain; but which, nevertheless, induced her to keep him at a cold distance. It is questionable whether that indifferent feeling would not have worn off in time, had no greater attraction presented itself to her. Sir Reginald was persevering in his efforts, when he found others aspiring to her hand, and lost no time when a fitting opportunity offered, of making known to Mrs. Littleborough his intentions towards her daughter, and inquiring if those intentions met with her acquiescence he felt not a little elated to find that lady quite willing to the proposed alliance with her daughter, provided she herself was entirely disposed to entertain his proposals. Armed with what he con

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