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Describe the battle between Baldeo and the tiger and the factors that led to Baldeo's defeat.
Quick answer:
Baldeo is attacked by a tiger, and he attempts to defend himself with his axe, striking the tiger twice and nearly severing its leg. However, his axe becomes lodged in the tiger's bone, leaving Baldeo defenseless. The tiger, experienced in attacking humans, kills Baldeo with a leap, feeling confident due to its past successes. Ultimately, Baldeo's defeat results from losing his weapon, while the tiger retains its claws and teeth.
The tiger attacks Baldeo, who moves out of the path of the attack. He strikes the tiger twice with the axe, and the author says he almost severs the tiger's leg at the shoulder. The axe gets stuck in the bone. The tiger jumps onto Baldeo and kills him. Baldeo only feels a searing pain in his back before he dies. The tiger is then struck and killed by the train in the tunnel.
The tiger approaches Baldeo with confidence because he isn't the first man the tiger attacked. Ruskin Bond writes:
The tiger, used to the ways of men, for it had been preying on them for years, came on fearlessly, and with a quick run and a snarl struck out with its right paw, expecting to bowl over this puny man who dared stand in the way.
Because it has experience fighting men and hasn't lost—since it's still alive—it feels confident that it can defeat Baldeo, who it views as puny.
Baldeo ultimately dies because the tiger doesn't lose its weapon—claws and teeth—but Baldeo loses the use of his axe when he strikes the tiger and it gets stuck in the bone.
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