Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-11-07
WOODSTOCK, W., THURSDAY, NOV. 2, 1872.

a SAD story was alUacneu 10 IhlS
place. A few years before young
man had come from the East with his
bride and had taken up this lonely bit
of land. Though he and his wife were
not more than eighteen, and though
very poor, even for new settlers, they
had gone on and prospered for the first
year. Then the poor girl died with her
first baby and her husband, in spite
of the efforts of the kindly neighbors
to detain him, had wandered off, no
one krew whittier, leaving his home
stead to 90 to ruin. A mournful in
terest thus belonged to the "Meadowes
Place" and the superstitious avoided
the island in the swamp after nightfall
| had been with Alice Meadowes
when she died, and had taken home
the poor little baby, who, however,
lived but a few days, and was buried
in her mothers grave. As'1 looked at
the desoate Lighthouse, there came to
me vivid remembrance of John
Meadowes rs he had stood in the door
and watched me as went away with
his child.
But | had small time for thought,
for the next instant the ugly dog, who
had run on before us out Of sight,
came tearing back along the road and
barking and yelling apparently quite
out of his senses; he sprang at the
horses heads, and seemed determined
to stop the buggy or even turn it from
the path,
"Good Heavens! the dog is mad y
said Diana, in alarm.
The next instant, snorting, scream
ing, wild with terror, the colts wheeled
short round, overturned the buggy,
and, kicking desperately, broke from
the traces and dashed back on the
homeward road. We were all thrown
on the soft grass, and sprang to our
feet unhurt Diana was in mortal fear
of the dog, for she thought him mad !;
but | knew some other danger threat
ened, and, looking round for a place Of
refuge, made toward the log-house, to
which Dick was already urging his sis
ter; while the dog, running backward
and forward from one to the other,
whined and yelped in an ecstacy ofim-
patience and distress.
The one room of the house was bare
and empty, but ladder led to the loft
above.
Sup the ladder, up the ladder, Mrs
Graham, quick!' cried Dick, and he
flung to the door "Quick | know
what is coming Good God this door
won't fasten!'
Flying from we knew not what, we
rushed up the ladder into the loft, and,
as we stood together on the boards,
Dick, with desperate strength, tore the
ladder from its fastenings, and sent it
crashing to the floor below. Most hap
PLY for us, there was a trap-door over
the opening, and Dick pulled it from
The rusty wire which held it to the wall,
and secured it with large iron hook
which slipped into staple in the floor.
On the trap-door the dog took his
stand; and, alternately growing and
wagging his tail, seemed at once to
defy the coming danger, and encourage
his friends.
There was a small window in the
room. The glass was broken, but the
heavy wooden shutter still swung to
and fro on The wind, and Dick pulled
it close and fastened it on the inside.
so that but for the faint light that shone
through the cracks in the roof and up
through a hole in the floor, we were
in darkness,
"What is it?" | asked, in whisper,
but, before Dick could speak, | was an
swered
There was a terrible sound between
yell and roar, the door below was
dashed from its hinges by some great
weight, and then roar on roar Of BAT
fled brutal rage rent the air.
We clung close together, expecting
death, though, as yet, neither Diana
nor | knew the nature of our enemy.
There was moments pause in the
deafening uproar, and | looked down
through the space, left by missing
board in the floor
What was the creature that carried
its vast tawny bulk to and fro across
the lower room, swift, easy and grace
full, as bird ? As I looked, the thing
lifted its huge head and and showed its
green eyes, glaring with hate, and the
white glitter of its terrible teeth.
There was no mistaking the nature of our
peril. The beast was the Bengal tiger
we had seen few days ago in the
caravan.
Spiritless and dull as the brute had
been in his cage, he had struck me
then as mcommonly powerful and
fierce, and we had been told that his
temper was untamably savage.
What were we to do?
We had no means of defense should
the creature break in upon us. 1t was
lonely place, and very few people
passed that way Any traveller who
saw our wrecked buggy and came to
seek us would only be rushing on GER
tain death. The horses might run
home, and our friends might come in
search of us, but the worst they would
apprehend would be some accident
from the runaway horses, and, if they
came to the lonely house in the swamp,
it would only be to meet death at the
threshold. For the moment we were
safe. l had natural history enough 10