In "The Most Dangerous Game", how does the author create suspense and inspire fear in the reader?

Well, I think the setting and context of the story is
bound to add a certain element of fear and suspense: two expert hunters in a battle to
the death played out on an isolated island... you get the picture. However, what the
author does to tantalise us and instil further suspense into the story is during the
actual hunt it becomes a battle of wits between the General and Rainsford. During the
hunt there are three separate stages when Zaroff lets Rainsford go away and move on to
be hunted again. Thus Connell denies us the final confrontation that we want and expect
by putting it off for another few heartbreaking
moments.

Consider the first example of
this:

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Rainsford held his breath. The general's eyes
had left the ground and were travelling inch by inch up the tree. Rainsford froze there,
every muscle tensed for a spring. But the sharp eyes of the hunter stopped before they
reached the limb where Rainsford lay; a smile spread over his brown face. Very
deliberately he blew a smoke ring into the air; then he turned his back on the tree and
walked carelessly away, back along the trail he had
come.

It is clear that Zaroff
knew of Rainsford's presence on the tree, but in the interests of securing an
"interesting" game, he decides not to finish the hunt straight away, rather allowing
Rainsford further chances to test his skill against the General's hunting prowess. As
the author describes it, the General always returns
quickly:

The
cat was coming again to play with the
mouse.

This playing of the
prey clearly is an appropriate metaphor which itself builds suspense - the cat almost
always wins, but will the mouse triumph? We are compelled to read on to the gripping
finale to find out.