Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-08-01

might come in search of us, but the worst
they would apprehend would be some nc-
cdent from the runaway horses, and, If
they came to the lonely house in the swamp
IL would only be to meet death at the thresh-
old. For the moment we were safe. had
natural history enough to know that the
creature could not get up TO the rafters and
tear away the boards of the upper floor.
Probably the beast had been missed i'm
mediately, and I thought IL likely that more
than one party were out searching with
dogs, and might follow up the trail, but it
might be some time before they could fall
on the traces, and in the mean time here
we were besieged by wild beast as cum
ming as it was cruel. The most exposed
point of our fortress was the little window
in the gable. The shutter opened nearly
flush with the floor, and beneath was lit
tle-lean-to, from the roofof which the win
dow could easily be reached, and knew
that the boards would not long sustain the
attack of those claws.
The beast might not, however, find out
this point, and, in the meantime IL behoov-
ed us TO keep as quiet as possible. He
might get tired of waiting and watching
and 60 away, but, even if he did, we should
never dare TO stir from our shelter. My
greatest fear was that the horses must go
home, and that my husband, on thinking
of nothing worse than the overturn, might
come to look for us, unarmed and defence
less. My mind was so full of this dread
that do not think realized the terrors of
our own position.
Diana, happily, was not one of those
girls whose first impulse in any danger is to
scream. She slipped down on the boards,
and, laying her head in my lap, held Dicks
hand tight, but she did not say a word nor
utter cry.
Dick was far more moved than his sister.
He trembled all over, and turned on me a
face so white and miserable, that in all our
distress l was conscious OF a surprised feel
ing at seeing boy OF his spirit and charac-
ter so overcome.
"All is not hopeless yet,' | said in
whisper.
80 Mrs. Graham" said he, 'it's all my
faultw
"Your fault? How can that bc?'
"Oh, I've been such Il self willed fool
When I went for the horses / met Mr..
Moore, and he told me that he had Just
heard that the tiger had got loose, and |
never let him know that we were going to
Galooso, because l was sure If / did he'd
come up and put stop to our ride and l
didn't want to drive round by the mill, for
l thought the captain might have heard,
and all because i was so determined to
show / could drive and TO have my own
way, and do what I'd set out 10 do, and l
wouldn't believe there was any danger till
after we had started, and then it began 10
come over me what l had done, and that
was why / wanted to take the short road,
and now have killed you and Diana r'-
and poor Dick hid his face with a moan of
remorse and despair.
Poor Dick Many piece of boyish will
fulness and seli-confidence had known in
my time, but none that seemed likely TO
bear such bitter fruit.
40 Dick ~ was all that Diana said.
1t was no time for reproaches, and used
none, am glad to think; but I confess
that for moment felt bitterly resentful.
The beast below, hearing our voices reared
hi mscf on his hind legs; and as his head
nearly touched the boards on which we
st cod, lie tore ut the wall with his claws un-
til he whole house shook, and the great
sp linters flew from the solid oak logs. He
switched his tail to and fro, and whined
and chattered his teeth like an angry cat
that sees bind just out Of her leach aud
then resumed mis- swift. restless movement
TO and fro. could not butgaze with Il sort
of Mortified admiration ut the creatures
dreadful beauty, the union of perfect grace
and tremendous power displayed in every
motion. 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. l don't
know how long we sat together there on
the floor in the twilight. The garret was
hot and close, but we dared not open the
shutter for breath of air.
After Il 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. Even now
sometimes in dream see those eyes as
saw them then. 1t began to grow dusk,
and the little light there was in our prison
grew DINNER.
Suddenly the dog begun scratching at the
window shutters 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 fingers
bread th. The instant l did so, the dog fore
ed 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. boiled 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
10 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. l have
seen peted house cat wholly at a loss 10
account for the disappearance of a mouse
which she had chased into crack having
an opening at the end opposite TO that where
Mrs. Puss had sat down to watch, quite
confident that the game was her own. Dark
er and darker 1t grew, and still the brute
would not leave his place.
wondered that no one had come to seek
us; but did not know till afterward that
"the colts" instead of going back to Mays
vile, had returned to their old home, eight
miles away from the village.
Diana kept herself very quiet, and poor
Dick, except a word or two of remorse and
self-reproach, was equally silent l thought
of our oldest boy, our Ion, expected home
from school, the next day, aftera years alb
sence of the two little ones at home, and