Litchfield enquirer., 1873-06-05

teeth Ake an angry cat that sees bird just out of her reach, and then resumed his swift restless movement to and fro. could not but gaze with a sort of horri- fled admiration at the creature's dreadful beauty, the union of perfect grace and tremendous power displayed in every mo- tion. The dog pressed close to my side, and licked my hand; and then, as the tiger repassed the opening in the floor, he set up his bristles with low, deep howl. don't know how long we sat to- gether on 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 hole in the ceiling, like cat watching a mouse-hole. Even now sometimes in a dream l see those eyes as I saw them then. It began to grow toward dusk. and the little light there was in our prison grew dinner
 Suddenly the dog began scratching at the window-shutters, as though anxious to get out. I tried to quiet him. but in but in vain; and then, longing for breath of fresh air, I ventured to open the shut ter by fingers breath. The instant I did so, the dog forced his way through. and from the roof of the little shed sprnno 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 ms own dinner, our lease of life woUId nave been short; but having been brought up In a cage, he was not acute enough to look for another opening into the place where bus expected prey had taken refuge. have seen petted house-cat wholly at g. iass suttnse" "W1nch sine had chased into a crack having an opening at the end oppo- site to that where Mrs Fuss had sat down to watch, quite confident that the game was her own. Darker and darker it grew, and still the brute would not leave his place.
 I wondered that no one had come to seek us; but I did not know till after ward that ''the colts," instead of going back to Maysville, had returned to their old home~ eight miles awGy from the will lage.
 Diana kept herself very quiet, and poor Dick, except word or two of remorse and self-reproach, was equally silent. I thought of our oldest boy, onr Ion, ex- pected home from school, the next day, after years absence; of the two little ones at home, and their father; and for & tune there came upon me & horror of great darkness.
 The beast grew more restless. He whined and snarled, and struck savagely at the Fafters 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 outdoor and began prowling round and round the house, as we could see through crack or two between the logs.
 We knew that, unless help came soon, We were lost, and we drew closer togeth- CT. There were few words of whispered prayer, and then Dick, pale determined, .ook his place near the window.
 five heard he don't take but one when he springs. "It'a my place." said the boy.
 Diana elung 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 snuf- fing impatiently, and then the shutter shook and tremhled. Dick opened his clasp knife, g piteously insufficient weap- on agalnst the fearful claws that were then rending and tearing at the frail boards.
 'Open the trap-door," he said. "Per- haps we can swing ourselves down and get away
 undid the fastening, but Diana clung to her brother. The shutter held out longer than we could have hoped, for I saw that the creature would be upon us in another moment. To our surprise, he seemed suddenly to pause on his attack. There was long, low hiss and whistle, a half-strangled roar, heavy fall, shout, and then again the strange sound, ill which old experiences on the plains ena- bled me to recognize the whir of the lar fat.
 Not daring to believe that we were saved, we locked through the cracks, but the desperate struggle which we could hear going on below was out of sight. Through the shouting and the half -chok- ed roar of the tiger we could hear the ug- ly dog barking and growing furiously. In few minutes he came flying into the lower room, and unable to reach me, he yelped and danced in frantic excitement. He was followed by tall, fair, blue eyed giant of a man, who, beholding 8 lady above him. climbed up the wall more like cat than man, and, reaching our place of refuge, remarked as to society in general: ''Well, I swami" and then, find ing that expression of feeling inadequate, ''well, do vum!"
 '1s the creature dead?" l asked: ''Well, no, ma am, said the snowman, for such he was; ''he ain't dead, but he's safe enough. You see, he's vallable kind of an animal; and he ain't bad, as tigers .go," he concluded in tone of apology.
 Here poor Diana, with an hysterical ! burst of tears and laughter, said that he might not be as bad, as tigers went; but that, as they stayed, she thought him highly objectionable.
 'Well, l 'spose he is, miss" said oul l new friend: s*but we never calculate tC have him lying around loose; but he's a vallable animal, and I'm kind of fond ot | the critter, and I'd hate to kill him. 'sI'm sure l don't want the poor thing l killed," said Diana nervously; ''but, oh. we want to go home!'
 "Yes, certainly said the big man SoO1AluSAy. Suooo 1IAO- OCo1 way " get out will be right down out of this
 window on to the roof"
 l In few minutes We all stood safe or the green sward, while the ugly dog ran
 to and fro from one to the other, and
 then, finally exhausted with his exertions, lay down and panted for breath until the
 state of his mind impelled him once more l to dance and yelp.
 The tiger, wound round and round l with the tough folds of more than one
 lasso, and with his feet chained, lay help
 less on the ground. Two stout fellows
 armed with knives and pistols, stood oyel
 him; but Dick turned away from the sigh
 with a shudder.
 t'How did you find him?" he asked tho 1 snowman.
 'sIt was all that dog" said our friend
 q declare, the way some critters act doe beat all natur You see, We lost the dol going on more'n week back One o
 the men got mad at the dog when he wa
 drunk, and give him an awful whipping
 and I expect it hurt his feelings, an(