Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-10-04

| HIS CldWS uuGIl IH6 WHO1O MUSE SQOOk
and the great splinters few from thu
| solidoak logs.
He switched his tail to and fro. anC
whined and chartered his teeth like al
angry cat that sees 9. bird just out of hel
reach, and then resumed his swift, rest
| less movement to and fro. l could mo-
but gaze with sort of horrifed admira
| ton at the creatures dreadful beauty, the
union of perfect grace and tremendou:
power displayed in every motion. The
dog pressed close to my side, and licked
my hand; and then, as the tiger repasseC
the opening in the floor, he set UP his
bristles with low, deep growl. I dont
the floor in the twilight. The garret was
hot and close, but we dared not open the
shutter for breath of air
After time, our foe seemed to weary
of his restless march, and, throwing his
vast weight and length along the floor,
lay with his eyes fixed on the hole in the
ceiling, like cat watching a mouse-hole
Even now sometimes in dream / see
those eyes as L saw them then.
1t began to grow toward dusk, and the
little light there was in our prison grew
DINNER ... .- .-..
Suddenly the dog began scratching at
the window shutter, as though anxious to
get out. tried to quiet him, but in vain
and then, longing for breath of fresh
air, ventured to open the shutter by q
fingers breadth.
The instant did so, the dog forced his
way through, and from the roof of the
little shed sprung to the ground, and sped
away into the swamp, but not toward
home.
bolted the shutter instantly, but the
noise had reused the tiger, and, starting
to his feet, he made the place echo and
re-echo with his hoarse roar.
Had he been genuine wild beast, used
to providing for himself and to hunting
his own dinner, our lease of life would
have been short; but, having been brought
up in a cage, he was not acute enough to
look for another opening into the place
where his expected prey had taken refuge.
Darker and darker it grew, and still the
brute would not leave his place.
wondered that no one had come to
seek us; but l did not know till after
back to Maysville, had returned to their
old home, eight miles away from the vii
lage.
Diana kept herself very quiet, and poor
Dick, except word or two of remorse
thought of our oldest boy, our Ion, eX-
after years absence; Of the two little
ones at home, and their father; and for
time there came upon me horror OF
great darkness.
The beast grew more restless. He
vuIos Io6 cfr II
at the rafters overhead but the great
beams held Then it seemed suddenly to
occur to his mind that there might be
other ways of reaching us, and he rushed
outdoors and began prowling round and
round the. house, as we could see through
a crack or two between the logs.
We knew that, unless help came soon,
we were lost, and we drew closer togeth-
er There were few words of whispered
prayer, and then Dick, pale and deter
mined, took his place by the window.
Owe heard he don't take but one when
he springs. It's my place." said the boy.
Diana clung to him, sobbing for the
first time, and he gently put her from
him.
The next instant the creature bounded
to the roof of the shed.
The crack in the shutter was darkened;
we heard him snuffing. impatiently, and
then the shutter shook and trembled.
Dick opened his clasp-knife, piteous-
-ly-insufficient weapon against the fearful
claws that were even then rending and
tearing at the frail boards.
"Open the trap-door," he said "Per-
haps you can swing yourselves down and
get away" .st
l undid the fastening, but Diana clung
to her brother.
The shutter held out longer than we
could have hoped, but saw that the crea-
ture would be upon us in another mo-
ment. $50
TO our surprise, he seemed suddenly to
pause in his attack. There was long,
low hiss and whistle, a nalf -strangled roar,
heavy fall, shout, and then again the
strange sound, in which old experiences
on the Plains enabled me to recognize the
whir of the thrown lariat.
Not daring to believe that we were
saved, we looked through the cracks, but
the desperate struggle that we could hear
going on below was out of our sight.
Through the shouting and the half -choked
roar of the tiger we could hear the ugly
dog barking and growing furiously.
In a few minutes he came flying into
the lower room, and, unable to reach me,
he yelped and danced in frantic excite
ment.
He was followed by tall, fair, blue
eyed giant of a man, who, beholdlng
lady above him, climbed up the wall
more like cat than man, and, reaching
our place of refuge, remarked, as to socie-
ty in general:
"Well, I swami and then, finding that
q oil
| do, 0etn1!"
'Is the creature dead?" [ asked.
"Well, no, ma'am," said the Snowman,
for such he was; "he amt dead, but he's
safe enough. You see, he's valuable
kind of an animal; and he amt bad, as
tigers CO." he concluded, In tone of
apology.
Here poor Diana, with an bysterical
burst of tears and laughter, said that he
might not be bad, as tigers went; but that,
as they stayed, she thought him highly
Objectionable. :,
''Well, l 'spose he is, MISS said our
new friend; "but we never calculate to
have him lying around loose; but he's
valuable animal, and I'm kind OF fond OF
the critter, and I'd hate to Kill him."
''rm sure l don't want The poor thing
killed." said Diana, nervously; but, oh,
we want to go home"
eyes, certainly" said the big man,
soothinglV. II guess the best way to get
out will be right down out of this window
on to the roof"
In few minutes we all stood safe on
the greensward, while the ugly dog ran
to and fro from one to the other, and then,
finally exhausted with his exertions, lay
down and painted for breath until the state
of his mind impelled him once more to
dance and yelp. :,
The TIGER. wound round and ronud
with the tough folds of more than one
lasso. and with his feet chained, lay help
less on the ground. Two stout fellows,