one youthful and of surpassing loveliness, the other haggard and wrinkled.
The younger lady expostulated with the tiger, and he forthwith released me.
My gratitude won the women's confidence, and I learned that they were
disciples of Lao-tsze who had repaired to the cavern to partake of the
miraculous draught, which they were just about to do. They were, it
appeared, mother and daughter, and I distinctly remember that the
composition of the beverage was known to the daughter only. This impressed
me, for I should naturally have expected the contrary. The tiger escorted
me home. I forswore hunting, and became, and have secretly continued, a
disciple of Lao-tsze. I will now indicate the position of the cavern to
thee: whether the ladies will still be found in it is beyond my power to
say."

And having pointed out the direction of the cavern, he expired.

The thing had to be done. The Bonze dressed himself up as much like a
votary of Lao-tsze as possible, provided himself with a body-guard of _bona
fide_ disciples, and, accompanied by a small army of huntsmen and warriors
as well, marched in quest of the den of the tiger. It was discovered about
nightfall, and having tethered a small boy near the entrance, that his
screams when being devoured might give notice of the tiger's issue from or
return to his habitation, the Bonze and his myrmidons took up a flank
position and awaited the dawn. The distant howls of roaming beasts of prey
entirely deprived the holy man of his rest, but nothing worse befell him,
and when in the morning the small boy, instead of providing the tiger with
a breakfast, was heard crying for his own, the besiegers mustered up
courage to enter the cavern. The glare of their torches revealed no tiger:
but, to the Bonze's inexpressible delight, two females lay on the floor of
the cave, corresponding in all respects to the description of the old man.
Their costume was that of the preceding century. One was wrinkled and