Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-11-25
EVENING STAR.
THE FATAL TRICK A TIGER LOOSE.
" Bounds with one lashing spring the mighty

THE FATAL TRICK A TIGER LOOSE
BOUNDS with one lashing spring the might,
-- wide waviny TO and t,o
His angry tail; red roll his eyes dila,ed urev ,,
Where his vast neck Just mingles with the
Sheafhed In his form the deadly weapon lies %
! tChttds HaroId's PitgrtnaC.
Upon one evening party of collegiaps and
young bloods of the town had met together a,
my rooms to play and carouse In fact, it was
regular meeting of the hunters, who assem-.
bled twice every week. We kept it UP iolliIy
until midnight, having in that time managed
to get full OF Bacchus, when Somers proposed
thas we should sally forth and sstoniSh the
1 town by some well-planned and well dire cte 4
piece of mischief Without any one of us hay
ing avery clear conception Of cur action or
intentions, we hailed the proposition with
drunken rapture, and started forth.
A travelling menaSerie had arrived in town
the day before. and among tie wonders was
young bear. Tho poor Snimal had been so
| we'll beaten that ho became very humble, and
acquired a number of amusing tricks OF this
we were well aware, having visited the NO
| naGeric the day before. Just as wc passed
| the spot whero the animals were confined, il
occurred to me what rare sport it would be to
capture young Bruin, and place him in the
chemiGal lecture room, to astonish, on the next
! day, the professor and the class
No sooner had made the proposition To this
euect than IL was adopted, and all volunteered
| their assistance In carrying it into execution.
The tent or pavilion which covered the beast
was erected in tho yard of tao principal tay
ern. The cages, each containing one or more
| animals, wcrc iron grated boxes, standing on
| wheels, by means Of which they had been
| dragged into town. They wcro arranged
| around tho interior of the tent, forming a cir
| cu!ar array Of wood and iron. Not imagining
that any one would disturb the amin ais, the
| showmen and inmates Of the tavern left the
4 tents entirely unmatched. Thus we were af-
torded clear field in which 10 execute our
| scheme. After several Of our number had
been posted as sentinels the rest crept in un-
| der the canvass and entered the arena 1t
| was some time before We could, in the deep
darkness Of tho place, identify the cage in
which our fTicnd BTuin had been put to :ieep
| Alter stumbling over divers things which lay
| scattered about, and pecring hero aud there
| in the dark, we found the object Of our search
| Thore, in a substantial cage, was the dim out.
| line of tho animal his two white eyes flashed
| drops OF fire at being aroused from his quiet
| slumber.
The next difficulty that occurred to US was
| the mode OF conveying him to the college
| which was several hundred yards distant
Some Of the jewellers proposed that we should
throw halter around his neck, and SO drag
| him along.
We objected to it, not from any personal
lear, since we had arrived at that point which
makes one oblivious Of danger, but lest we
have our fun spoiled. A better plan was, af-
ter much schemiDg, devised, and one which
met with universal acquiesccnce.
In the tavern yard stood water hogshead,
| with sliding lid, fastened by means Of hasp
| and staple. We had only to roll this in, slide
down the box from the wheels, open the door
immediately in front Of the hogshead and
drive the animal in. We should then push
down the lid of the cask, secure il by means
Ot a rope passed through the staples, and roll
| our prisoner and prison house to the college.
No sooner was this suggested than we has
tened to putt into execution. The cage, with
our united efforts, was slid quietly down from
| the whoels-Bruin growing all tho while with
anger-the hogshead was rolled in and placed
upon and in front Of the cage, and tho animal
stirred up with our canes. With q terrific
yell he rushed in, and We closed the lid sud-
deuly down upon him, fastening ii at the
ane time in secure manner. The yell Of
the bear Tooscd the other animals, and our ears
were RECALLED Tor the next ten minutes with a
variety of hideous sounds that wakened fear
fully the sleeping echoes of the night. The
animal in the hogshead growled, and his voice
came like distant thunder, so deadened was
II by the wood in which he lay. His fellows
had no incumbrance to their voices, and they
howled as clearly as though they had been in
their native forests.
Fearful Of being discovered wc remained
quiet for sometime, holding our breath in sus-
pense. But no ono disturbed or thought of
disturbing US. The animals often started a
chorus of strange noises during the night, and
the keepers thinking nothing unusual to be
the matter, merely cursed the unruly beasts
for destroying the unity of their rest, and
turning back went to sleep again
As soon a5 quiet was restored we slit hole |
IN the canvas, for we were afraid 10 emerge
by the aperture which faced the tavern, rolled
our Eosshead through the yard 10 the back
gate. This was untastened, and passing into
the road We started at q quick rate for cur
spot Of destination. Over and over went tho |
hOgshead, the animal within growing at the |
rough treatment he experienced, and We |
nearly cOnvulsed with laughter at the un-
ccuthncsS Of tho noise which he made.
At length VIC reached the back part of the |
college, when one Of our party climbed over |
the wall and unfastened the gate. We rolled |
In the prize at the back door Of the laboratory,
which was the place at which our professor of |
chemistry lectured. We found that, in conse- /
quence Of the naIrownesS of the passage of /
the door the hogshead would not enter. such |
being the case, we were about to start tho an
imal through the open door, when an idea,
more redOlent Of fun, struck the fancy Of |
Somers. Back of the lecture room was a
small apartment containing odds and ends,
and which was not visited, perhaps, once
month. He said rightly, that if We placed
Bruin in this apartment he would not be like
ly to be discovered until sometime during The /
noise he would be apt to make attracting at
tention, the plot would readily be brought to
a crisis We joined cur strength, and upon
our shoulders up went the hogshead until it
was placed on level with the window. a |
light young fellow, the smallest of tho party,
climbed up, hoisted up the window and slid
up the lid Of the cask. We shook the hogs
head violently, but at first to no purpose.
The animal was thoroughly frightened, and
lay still, or with only an occasional growl.
We shook it again, and he started. There
was but ono possible mode Of progression,
which was straight forward-and the brute |
gave a spring through the window. There |
was a crash Of glass, a howl, and then the |
terrified animal crouchiDg in the corner, re-
mained silent. Our little companion Closed |
the sash and leaped down We rolled the |
hOgshead up into corner Of the yard, and |
returning to our ro0ms, continued our revelry |
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