The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-11-16

ne anu Decaue fALncF lfiouNIy
talked to him, and made him tall
some also about the creatures in hi
charge, and praised him once o
twice, and saw the dark blood sweel
up to his brow like girls blush ant
after while, when he had leisure
no would come and sit near mo whil'
| Was sketchlng, and, take curiou
but wor1less ncte of my work, ant
occasionally shyly suggest to MI
slight points that caused me to won
der at his close and quick observa
tion. Mr.. Kingsley had always
CHEEKY something to say to him; ant
as I look back now l am glad t
think that Bill seemed to take al
unusual comfort, as time went on
out of his distant companionshil
with us two.
| The season had been extremely
hot, and August fairly blazed will
the fierce, dry heat Of long drouth
| it was one Of those scorching, electric
kind Of days that make men feel list
less, and beasts restless and wickec
to deal with, that we halted in Tx
suburbs Of a growing city, and
spread the canvas for an afternoon
exhibition. The big Bengal tigres:
had been unusually uneasy all The
morning; when lying prone on the
floor Of her cages, she lashed hel
powerful tail and painted out low
ominous growIs, as if the blood
thirsty spirit of her lost liberty wat
angrily astir aud she would start
up with sudden bound that shook
her prison, and impatiently pace its
narrow limits, with yellow eyes all
afame, and snarling lip drawn up
over the strong and hungry. looking
teeth, aud once or twice she rolled
herself against the thick wires, and
caught them in her great claws as il
she longed to tear the resisting bars
from their occurred sockets. Bill
kept careful watch on her antics, and
l heard him say to himself, "There'll
be trouble with that vixen" But
the rest of the collection was feverish
and fretful too. and between furnish
ing them all with fresh drinks, and
throwing water on some to cool them
of, he had quite as much as he could
do before the hour fixed for the per-
formance, without devoting especial
attention to any one animal.
There was a crowded audience
from far and near; whole families,
from the father down 10 TIE babe in
arms, were ranged on the hard
benches to enjoy the acting elephants
and precocious ponies. There was
even an extraordinary number OF
children, for q thriving school had
entered carly, and noisiIy secured
nearly all the front seats, and de-
lighted anticipation shone on rows
of chubby and eager countenances.
The peanut boys drove heavy
trade, and the vendors of mugs OF
mead had a very profitable and ac.
tive time, and all was going AS merry
us marriage bell in the ring and
out of il, when l suddenly became
aware that something serious was
the matter, for saw Bill slip quick
Iy from behind the cage oft,.e still
fdgeting tigress, and come to
statuesque stand in full front of the
amused people who scarcely observed
him, amidst a round of uproarous ap.
plause but he was in his shirt
sleeves ana deadly pale-as well he
might be, having just discovered that
the mighty beast beside him had, by
some unnoticed frantic effort, SO
loosened the structure OF her cage
that the next wrathful movement
would render it iesrfully unsaie.-
There was not a minute to be lost in
the creatures evidently excited con-
dition, further aggravated by the
sounds of the band and tormenting
attacks of ofexasperating flies; and Bill
had rushed out in order to look TOR
Mr.. Kingsley among the audience,
where he usually sat, and tell him to
dismiss tie crowd as rapidly and as
quietly as possible, as not knowing
what instant the necessary power OF
protection would be past; but not
seeing him at the moment in his ac-
oustomed place, Bill scarcely hesita.
ted at the responsibility of announ-
cling danger himself but before his
slow speech could be framed into
words that could warn and not too
severely alarm, 1t was too late.
The awful animal, crouching warily
| in corner of it's shattered inclosure
gave one abrupt vault, and swift al
lightning, amidst the startled shrek
Of the terror.stricken throng, dashed
into tho open space before the encir
cling seats. For . second it sto0c
still there, as though dazed by it,
freedom, while the struggling mass ol
scared humanity, with scarce o re
gard for life or limb in each other
fed in frenzied haste and fright. Blu,
| just as she had gathered herself up
for her second spring, our quiet Bill
made simultaneous leap, and landed
square upon her bristling back, with
his muscular arms clasped tight
around her swelling neck, and his
legs wound close around the 1.-THE and
OUT stretched loins. Disinay ed by
this unexpected obstruction, for the
space OF breath or two the tigress
stood at bay /; then, with horribl,
roar rolled over and over in the ring
We could hear Bills bones break
beneath her appalling efforts to dis
lodge him, for a sudden slence fel
upon the selfish crowd that swayet
aside from fight to watch this shock
ing contest between undaunted MAJ
and untamed brute. In vain sh,
turned and twisted, reared an,
plunged Bill held fast, though th'
blood poured from his mouth an,
blinded the beasts sight--held tas
with tho grip Of everlasting fate, Til
Mr.. Kingsley, snatching Il loade'
pistol from a trembling ruflian at hi
side who had just threatened with
some women in his way of escape
stretched his firm hand, and sent
bullet straight into tho savage cres
lures brain. One sharp convulsio
Of tie heavy frame, one final heavin
Of the burdened back, and she To-
still at last, with quiet Bill parti
, underneath her crushing weigh
! Tender hands lifted him and Dor
, his senseless body to the neares
comfortable place, and more tha