The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1865-02-04
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ted. A bit OF poetry entered my hcat
in the shape of an old adagc:
"To fly the boar, when he doth nc
pursue,
Will but incense the boar to rollo,
! you"
Were | to stir, the possibility OF my get
ting along well enough without him
might infame his enterprise, and excit,
a rival activity on his part; and wha
kind of chance should have, a pool
mouse, under the eye of that gigantic
feline ? l felt that, in such a scram
bling game of all-fours, my hands would
be speedily played out.
was the more convinced OF this .at.
pint probability, from the fact that the
side door, through which l had entered
and by which | might otherwise have
hoped to escape, had shut to with q
spring, land was self.fasteuing, With.
out key it could only be opeaed from
the other side--a circumstanoctI did
not learn till | had entered and though
had [ found the bunch of keys, I ulieht
have opened it, or otherwise could Gaye
summoned assistance by pounding On
the door, still this was no relief to me,
distant as [ was from it; and almost GER
tain, that, before 1 could reach and have
it opened, 1 should be within the en-
brace of the pursuing tiger.
Alas this was q most dishearteninr
reflection, and thoughts of a barbarous
death thickened upon my sickeuing
soul. had seen cats strategy, in
playing with mouse; mangling it, re.
tiring awhile, pretending sleep, waiting
till its hope revived, and pouncing again
upon it. Was this to be my fate ?
No, thought /, I am no mouse. Let
me be warned by what 1 have seen. L
am divine soul, imbued with the cs.
sence ofimmortality and, what is more
to mypresent purpose, gifted with GER
tain amount of prescience, by which 1
yet accomplish my deliverance, if look
sharp and lie still. So long as the tiger
does the same, shall be safe. When
he moves, it will be good time for me
also to be in hurry.
1t is possible for me to convey to you
how, as thus lay PROSTATE, surveying
the savage bulk of that Asiatie despot,
longed, but dared not sigh, for Bill Ram.
say. Itseemed as if 1 had been in that
place of awful jeopardy for as much as
two hours if so, it was 2 o'clock in the
morning and it might be that Ramsay
would abbieviate his sojourn at the
gaming. table, lose all he had, or get in-
toxicated, and he compelled to return to
his duty as night guard over the welfare
of that establishment.
1t might be But how frail the hope
on which so much depended 4! He was
more likely to be too late to do me any
good. 1t seemed highly possible that on
his arrival he would find the mutilated
remains of his employers youthful
nephew, ANONYMOUSLY distributed about
the premises. The bloody spectacle
might effect permanent reform in his
habits, He might take buttons from
my clothes, as relics of the sad catas.
trophe, and show them away, as awful
warnings of the effects of gambling.
He might produce a worldwide refor-
nation in that respect, and go down to
the grave cursing his gray hairs, while
the world was blessing them-but all
this would do me no good. ae might
even shoot the tiger-but he could not
put my parts together again. l should
be dead and gone and all for a goat.
How 1 hated drink and gambling then;
for, had it not been for those propensi-
ties in Bill Ramsay, he would have been
1ischarging his duty by sleeping faith
fully at his post, and thus have been at
hand to neutralize or prevent this fright
'ul emergency
The more l reflected upon the proba.
Iility of his speedy return, the more |
elt convinced of its improbability; and
he consciousness that | was thus en-.
langered, in the heart of large city, !
within and yet beyond the reach of help, |
vas so aggravating that at one time l |
ctuallv felt desperate, aud was on the
'oint of making a sudden dash for the
iearest cage, and climbing to the top or !
towing myself away in some possible |
orner- which might easily have been
lone had not the tiger been there-a
erious drawback. / had no doubt that
'e was a more excellent climber than
But, remaining where l had fallen,
hough ever so quiet, l might tempt
he tigers appetite in time aud as l
'eered up at his rapacious face, through
he chinks of my fingers, and thought
ow naturally he might be hungry in
he nighttime, when the tyrants of the
'ilderncss are accustomed to prowl and
rey, l wondered he was so tardy with
uch luncheon spread before him. To
e sure, there was no doubt he had had
is supper; but 1 very much feared that
tigers voracity was not to be measured
y the regulation-diet of a menagerie
md if his hunger were appeased, who
ould set bounds TO his perpetual fond.