The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-05-02

faneiful-t.int there was O. look of
quiet satisfaction, of grim enjoyment
about hlm, as he lay thus, gazing at
me through contracted lids, with eyes
OF yellowlsh green, that never wayered
OF turned away for q single instant.
He seemed to fecl himself 80 tho
roughly master of the situation, that
he was in no hurry to proceed to
extremlties. Perhaps it was crafty
ing to his feelings to find one Of the
hated race of men so completely in
his power. Occasionally, he opened
his mouth to it's fullest extent, and
yawned silently; and it makes me
shudder even now, when remember
the terrible array of teeth visible at
such times. Once and again, he would
givo his lips al anticipatory lick with
his great red tongue, while his whis-
kers quivered like those of cat that
is watching bird.
1t was broad daylight by this tinlo,
and such Of tho familiar features of
the room Us could see without stir
ring my head, were just rs they had
been left last night. The tiger, which
! could only conclude to have escaped
from some mcnageric, had doubtless
como prowling about the house in
search of shelter, and finding tho
studio door invitingly open, had
walked IN, ovcrturnins the chair in
his passage, and made for himself a
snug LAIR on some discarded drapcry
III one corner, till reused by my en-
trance. But for my carclcssncss in
leaving open the dooro of tho painting
room, L should never have found my
sell III this sal plight. Instead of
beng close to the door by which /
was standing when the tiger spr:.ng
upon me, | found myself lying on a
square OF Persian carpet, and in close
proximity to the second door, which
opened out of Il corridor in the house
Immediately opposite to me, on the
other side OF the room, was the large
old-fashioncd window, OF which ]
have already spoken, towards which
the tiger back WAS now turned. Tn
direct hnc between tho tiger and
the window, supported by two wood
en- upriShts, and covered with green
baiZc, stood an old fashioned! c!.ev:.l
glass, behind which the window was
partly hidden, one side OF it only
beng visible from where 1 lay. All
this time, j had been gathering uD
my energies to meet tho fate that
lo"mcd SO imlnincntly before me with
Whatever of courage and composurc
was possible to me. My chances Of
escape seemed very faint, indeed, but
none the less did | keep revolving
ono scheme after another in my brain,
only to reject them one hv one us
utterly hopeless. Alas, for me there
seemed to he no help on earth! A
dull, vague despair, in spite of my cf-
iorts to the contrary, was beginning
to settle down over my soul, when,
bringing my eyes to rest once more
ON tho brute beside me, / saw, with n
thrill OF hope, that those nnwavcrinr
eyes had closed ut last. He was
asleep, with one paw laid against my
shoulder, ready to grasp mo should
oiirr to stir. \ small matter. truly.
to callSe me to thrill with hope; but
couiu not help accepting the fact,
trlillnS Us it was, as an aucurv of
good promise. Lightly an.l delicatclv
the tiger slept. | vcnturcd to open
my eyes n little wider, and moment
afterwards, sight mot my gaze which
stirred my soul to its very depths.
and would have drawn from me some
cry OF movement Of surprise. had not
the painful lesson of few minutes
before been still so fresh in nv mo
mory.
What l saw WAS the white asonizcd
lace OF my wife pccring in THROUGH
that corner of the window not hidden
by the chcval glass, and Lal,ra's face.
scarcely less anguish-strickcn gazing
over her shoulder They had dis
covered my dangerous position;
would they be able to help me? My
wifc's eyes and mine met in q long,
ycarning, heartfelt gaze across the
little space that kept us asnndcr. L
had learned to read the language of
those dear eyes years before, and
their meaning was plain to me now.
They told of love and pity in Il way
that no mere words could have done,
and yet breathed, withal, a spirit Of
hope and consolation almost divine.
as though wishing me not to forget
that both her fate and mine We're in
the hands of q merciful Power, with
out whose permission not even a
sparrow can fall to the ground. Sud-
denly, Laura whispered something in
my wife's ear, and Il flash passed over
~