Mrs．Packletideintendedtoshootatiger．Notthatthedesiretokillhadsuddenlycometoher，orthatshefeltshewouldleaveIndiasaferwithonewildbeastless．ItwasbecauseLoonaBimbertonhadrecentlytakenaplanetotheforestandki
Mrs．Packletideintendedtoshootatiger．Notthatthedesiretokillhadsuddenlycometoher，orthatshefeltshewouldleaveIndiasaferwithonewildbeastless．ItwasbecauseLoonaBimbertonhadrecentlytakenaplanetotheforestandkilledatiger，andthenewspapersshowedphotographsofLoonaBimbertonwithatiger-skinon．Inaworldsupposedtobemovedbyhungerandbylove，Mrs．Packletide'smovementswerelargelygovernedbydislikeofLoonaBimberton．
Circumstancesprovedfavorable．Mrs．Packletidehadofferedathousandrupees（印度卢比）fortheopportunityofshootingatigerwithoutriskoreffort，andithappenedthatanoldtigerwasfrequentlycomingtoaneighboringvillageatnight．Hewassooldthathecouldn'tkillanimalsinthewildandjustsatisfiedhisappetitetothesmallerhouseholdanimals．Thevillagerswereeagertoearnthethousandrupees；childrenwerepostednightanddayinthejungletowatchthetiger，andthecheapgoatswereleftabouttokeephimfromgoingelsewhere．TheonegreatfearwasthatheshoulddieofoldagebeforethedayofMrs．Packletide'sshoot．
Thegreatnightarrived．Aplatformhadbeenbuiltinatree，onwhichsatMrs．Packletideandherpaidcompanion，MissMebbin．Agoatwithaloudbleat（咩咩叫）wastieddownatthecorrectdistance．Withanaccurategun，theywaitedforthecomingofthetiger．
"Isupposeweareinsomedanger？"saidMissMebbin．
Shewasnotactuallynervousaboutthewildbeast，butshewasunwillingtoperformabitmoreservicethanshehadbeenpaidfor．
"It'saveryoldtiger．Itcouldn'tspringuphereevenifitwantedto．"said Mrs．Packletide．
Theirconversationwascutshortbytheappearanceoftheoldtiger．Hesawthegoat，andlayontheearthforashortrestbeforeattacking．
Thegunfiredveryloudly，andthegreatyellowbeastjumpedtoonesideandthenrolledoverinthestillnessofdeath．Inamomentacrowdofexcitedvillagersappearedonthescene，andtheirshoutingcarriedthegladnewstothevillage．
ItwasMissMebbinwhofoundthatthegoatwasdyingfromabullet-wound，whilenowoundcouldbefoundonthetiger．Evidentlythewronganimalhadbeenhit，andthetigerhaddiedofheart-failure，causedbythesuddenloudnoiseofthegun．Mrs．Packletidewas