"I vouchsafed no reply to his insulting question.
"'I challenge you to fight my newly-caught tiger, Raja Begum.
{FN6-2} If you can successfully resist him, bind him with a chain,
and leave his cage in a conscious state, you shall have this royal
Bengal! Several thousand rupees and many other gifts shall also be
bestowed. If you refuse to meet him in combat, I shall blazon your
name throughout the state as an impostor!'
"His insolent words struck me like a volley of bullets. I shot an
angry acceptance. Half risen from the chair in his excitement, the
prince sank back with a sadistic smile. I was reminded of the Roman
emperors who delighted in setting Christians in bestial arenas.
"'The match will be set for a week hence. I regret that I cannot
give you permission to view the tiger in advance.'
"Whether the prince feared I might seek to hypnotize the beast, or
secretly feed him opium, I know not!
"I left the palace, noting with amusement that the royal umbrella
and panoplied coach were now missing.
"The following week I methodically prepared my mind and body for
the coming ordeal. Through my servant I learned of fantastic tales.
The saint's direful prediction to my father had somehow got abroad,
enlarging as it ran. Many simple villagers believed that an evil
spirit, cursed by the gods, had reincarnated as a tiger which took
various demoniac forms at night, but remained a striped animal
during the day.
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