The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-07-29

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Draw the charges Of my gun, Ban
da, and load with ball; then follow VI
the track am going to search fol
Miss Sandiland.
And seizing the rifle from the shikar.
rms hand, he struck across the low
jungle toward the path taken by Kate
crushing through the tall grass and
brush at pace that would have dis.
tanced any but sportsman.
Miss Sandiland pursued her way to.
ward spot, the frequent termination
OF her evening walks. Once q mere
bride track, occasionally used by
coolie fishermen, her brother, ut hel
with, had caused it TO be opened and
enlarged. To-day, lost in thought, she
had followed it carelessly, until she
found herself upon the gray, sandy
beach OF the strait.
The sun was getting behind the
blue line OF tho mountains, and the
water blazed with liyid streaks Of red
the sky, broken into heavy masses oi
clouds, was glorious in gold and pur-
pie, and all the wonderful blendings
of an Indian sunset.
Kate stood for q while, watching
wi h eager eyes the rapid transforms.
ton OF shape and color and then,
tempted by the firm, smooth sand
strolled along the beach. and seated
herself upon low ledge of rocks.
She sat long, absorbed by the sun
set and her thoughts, Intervening the
rich hue Of the one with the varying
lights and shadows of the other, and
the paling clouds warned her that it
was time TO return.
But, as she arose from her seat, her
eyes grew suddenly glazed and fixed /;
the rounded, graceful lines of the fair
form appeared to stiffen into marble,
and she stood breathless, almost life-
less with terri, half blinded with the
horror OF her first glance. She rath-
er felt than saw that sho stood face to
face with n tiger
Craaehing, motionless, upon the
edged of the jungle, not thirty yards
from where she stood, with its hag-
gard, cowardly eyes glaring at her,
lay the gaunt form of the huge beast.
Flashing through the girls brain came
a score Of mad, wild impulses, with
lightning-like rapidly. But she re-
membered-shc had heard Eyersley
say, and the pain at her heart grew
greater as she thought of him-that
the only chance of safety was TO face,
with a steady eye the treacherous
brute before her. Her eyes had been
fastened upon it with helpless sort
of fascination but now she rou ed
herself TO tx them sternly on the
fierce, great orbs, that thrilled her
with their cruel glare.
Her courage rose and sank, as hope
and fear alternated; but at last even
her brave nature began to fail. She
felt that her breath came in long,
gasping sobs; the light began to fade
from her eyes; the dreadful form of
the tiger grew dim and indistinct, and
she knew that she was fainting. With
n last effort, she reused herself, and
cried:
&" Eyersley, Eversley ! why are you
not here ?"
:" Ny brave darling, I am here r
And n dark form swept rapidly past
and stood between her and her terri
bic foe.
Kate recovered her senses in an in
slant, and the scene before her was nev-
CIR forgot en-. The tiger, aroused by the
presence of a new antagonist, was still
crouching, with its head between it's
enormous paws, but the long, striped
back was arched for spring, and
the long, 1.-THE tail swept in angry
curves from side to side, its eyes
sparkled red with rage, and q savage
snarl, that made Kate's blood run
cold, came from the wrinkled, grin
mig jaws.
Eversley, no new hand at tiger
shooting, n d, next to Tiger Race, :"
the keencst eye and steadicst hand on
trigger in India, stood like rock, for
what, to poor Kate, seemed an eter-
nifty, though but n few swift seconds.
But as he drew the trigger, the tiger
moved his head with a slight upward
motion, and the ball missing the brain
buried itself in the massive chest
With growl that filed the air like
thunder, the huge brute shot forward.
Kate closed her eyes, but the second
barrel had done its duty. Crashing
through the tawny skull, the ball
passed clean through the brain, lodg-
ing deep in the knotted muscles of the
neck, and, dead in the air, the huge
carcass rolled over, q lifeless heap, q
few yards from Eversley's feet.
He threw his rifle down, and turned
to Miss Sandiland.
&c Thank God r he said; and there
was such an earnest pathos in his
tones that the warm tears rushed to
Kate's eyes as she held both hands to-
ward him, with look that must have
spoken volumes.
For moment after, the gray eyes
were hidden deep in the breast of his
shooting jacket. They were raised
presently, with tears still trembling
on their lashes.
!" / do indeed thank God, dearest,
and doubly that l am saved by you. "
Fred Sandiland rang the bell impa-
tiently.
"Send Miss Sandiland's maid to tell
her that dinner is on the table. And
where is Captain Eversley?"
Eversley Sahib walk on yerandah
with Miss Kate" replied Chitty, with
a salaam.
Sandiland walked wrathfully across
the room, and threw the glass door
open.
j" Kate, I'm astonished r but he