Laura bent and scooped the child into her arms without stopping.
Time seemed to slow down and every sensation was magnified. Narwa was a solid, wiggling weight, and the scented blossoms clutched in his hand tickled her neck. In the distance, the women in the field wailed their despair.
While Laura got a firm grip on Narwa, she pivoted to her right, hoping the heavy tiger would be further slowed by having to change direction. Then she sprinted toward the tree trunk, which would give some protection if she could get behind it. She had once been told by an experienced hunter that if a tiger missed its first rush, it was slow to recover and attack again; surprisingly often its quarry escaped. But the hunter had been talking about tigers who stalked fleet-footed deer, not a woman burdened by a frightened, kicking child.
Behind Laura the tiger's snarl rose to a vicious pitch, but she dared not take the time to look back. The tree trunk was only two strides away. If they could reach it…
Before she could complete the thought, she was struck in the side with a brutal force that knocked her clear off her feet. She landed on her back, Narwa still clutched in her arms, and looked up into the horrifying face of the tiger. It roared, a deep sound that frightened her to her marrow and revealed dagger-long fangs that could bring down a buffalo.
Tigers usually killed with teeth rather than claws, but the massive paw swinging toward Laura looked lethal enough to finish off both her and the child. She began to roll, cradling Narwa in her arms. If she was on top when the tiger struck, perhaps the boy would escape harm. Laura found it bizarre to know that in a moment she would be dead. She had never imagined such a lurid ending to her life. Perhaps she should be thinking about the state of her soul, but her last thought was a hope that Papa would be waiting for her, and Tatyana…
The boom of a rifle shattered the air, followed seconds later by another shot. The tiger roared again, this time with pain. Laura looked up to see it rear into the air, the terrifying bulk blocking the sun as the beast twisted and lashed out helplessly with its forepaws. Then, with a hair-curling howl, it collapsed to the earth, legs still thrashing.
Before one of the flailing, lethally clawed paws could hit Laura or the child, Kunthi reached them. She was a small woman, but with superhuman strength she seized Laura beneath the shoulders and dragged her clear of the tiger's death throes. When Laura and the child were both safe, Kunthi pulled Narwa into her own embrace, weeping and rocking back and forth as she cradled her son, who was bellowing with outrage.
Too numb and breathless to move, Laura was still sprawled on the ground among Narwa's crushed flowers when Ian arrived on the scene, having covered the distance in an amazingly short time. He dropped to his knees beside her. "Laura, are you hurt?" he asked urgently. He laid down his rifle, then raised her to a sitting position, one arm around her shoulders.
"I don't know," she whispered, having trouble finding the breath to speak. "Its paw struck my right side."
After examining her side and hip, he whistled softly. "You were incredibly lucky—your canteen must have taken the force of the blow. It was torn off and is lying over by the tiger. Good God, the claws shredded the lower edge of your skirt. I don't see blood, though. Do you feel pain anywhere?"
Laura made a gingerly assessment. Her ribs were sore, but the metal canteen seemed to have prevented any serious injury. "Just bruises, I think." She smiled unsteadily. "Papa gave me that canteen. He said it might save my life, but I don't think this is quite what he had in mind."
"Perhaps he was watching over you this morning." Ian shook his head. "When the tiger knocked you down, I thought you were done for. If it had connected solidly…"
By this time, half the village had gathered around and everyone was chattering excitedly. One of the last to come
Time seemed to slow down and every sensation was magnified. Narwa was a solid, wiggling weight, and the scented blossoms clutched in his hand tickled her neck. In the distance, the women in the field wailed their despair.
While Laura got a firm grip on Narwa, she pivoted to her right, hoping the heavy tiger would be further slowed by having to change direction. Then she sprinted toward the tree trunk, which would give some protection if she could get behind it. She had once been told by an experienced hunter that if a tiger missed its first rush, it was slow to recover and attack again; surprisingly often its quarry escaped. But the hunter had been talking about tigers who stalked fleet-footed deer, not a woman burdened by a frightened, kicking child.
Behind Laura the tiger's snarl rose to a vicious pitch, but she dared not take the time to look back. The tree trunk was only two strides away. If they could reach it…
Before she could complete the thought, she was struck in the side with a brutal force that knocked her clear off her feet. She landed on her back, Narwa still clutched in her arms, and looked up into the horrifying face of the tiger. It roared, a deep sound that frightened her to her marrow and revealed dagger-long fangs that could bring down a buffalo.
Tigers usually killed with teeth rather than claws, but the massive paw swinging toward Laura looked lethal enough to finish off both her and the child. She began to roll, cradling Narwa in her arms. If she was on top when the tiger struck, perhaps the boy would escape harm. Laura found it bizarre to know that in a moment she would be dead. She had never imagined such a lurid ending to her life. Perhaps she should be thinking about the state of her soul, but her last thought was a hope that Papa would be waiting for her, and Tatyana…
The boom of a rifle shattered the air, followed seconds later by another shot. The tiger roared again, this time with pain. Laura looked up to see it rear into the air, the terrifying bulk blocking the sun as the beast twisted and lashed out helplessly with its forepaws. Then, with a hair-curling howl, it collapsed to the earth, legs still thrashing.
Before one of the flailing, lethally clawed paws could hit Laura or the child, Kunthi reached them. She was a small woman, but with superhuman strength she seized Laura beneath the shoulders and dragged her clear of the tiger's death throes. When Laura and the child were both safe, Kunthi pulled Narwa into her own embrace, weeping and rocking back and forth as she cradled her son, who was bellowing with outrage.
Too numb and breathless to move, Laura was still sprawled on the ground among Narwa's crushed flowers when Ian arrived on the scene, having covered the distance in an amazingly short time. He dropped to his knees beside her. "Laura, are you hurt?" he asked urgently. He laid down his rifle, then raised her to a sitting position, one arm around her shoulders.
"I don't know," she whispered, having trouble finding the breath to speak. "Its paw struck my right side."
After examining her side and hip, he whistled softly. "You were incredibly lucky—your canteen must have taken the force of the blow. It was torn off and is lying over by the tiger. Good God, the claws shredded the lower edge of your skirt. I don't see blood, though. Do you feel pain anywhere?"
Laura made a gingerly assessment. Her ribs were sore, but the metal canteen seemed to have prevented any serious injury. "Just bruises, I think." She smiled unsteadily. "Papa gave me that canteen. He said it might save my life, but I don't think this is quite what he had in mind."
"Perhaps he was watching over you this morning." Ian shook his head. "When the tiger knocked you down, I thought you were done for. If it had connected solidly…"
By this time, half the village had gathered around and everyone was chattering excitedly. One of the last to come
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