Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-07-18

of the dog, for she thought him mad but
knew that some other danger threatened
and, looking round for place of refuge
made toward the log-house, to which Dicl
was already urging his sister while tn,
dog, running backward and forward from on,
to the other, whined and yelped in an &C.
stasy OF impatience and distress. The on,
room OF the honse was bare and empty. bu
a ladder led to the loft above.
. Up the ladder, up the ladder, Mrs
Graham, quick ~ cried Dick, and he flung
to the door. Quick | know what i
coming Good God This door ,yon't
fasteni"
Flying from we knew not what. we rushed
up the ladder into the loft, and, as we stood
together on the boards, Dick, with desper.
ate strength tore the ladder from its fasten-
nSs, and sent ii crashing to the floor below
Most happily for US, there was trap-door
over the opening, and Dick pulled it from
the rusty wire which held it to the wall. and
secured it with a large IRON hook which
slipped into a staple in the floor On the
trap-door the dog took his stand and, al
ternately growing and wagging his tail,
seemed at once to defy the coming danger,
and encourage his friends.
There was small window in the room.
The glass was broken, but the heavy wooden
| shutter still swung to and fro in the wind,
and Dick pulled it close and fastened it on
the inside, 50 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 dark
ness.
- What is it ?'' | asked, in whisper but,
lplfa nigl earnll I Il
There was n terrible sound between n veil
and roar, the door below was dashed from
Its hinges by some great weight, and then
roar on roar Of baflled, brutal rage rent the
air. We clung close together, expecting
death, though, as vet, neither Diana nor
knew the nature Of our enemy. There was
a moments pause in the deafening uproar,
and looked down through the space left by
n 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 graceful, as bird? AsI looked, the
thing lifted its huge head and showed its
green eyes, glaring with hate, and the white
glittering Of its terrible teeth. There was
no mistaking the nature of our peril. The
beast was the Bengal tiger We had seen a
few days before in the caravan.
Spiritless and dull as the brute had been
in his cage, he had struck me then as un-
commonly powerful and fierce, and we had
been told that his temper was untamably
savage.
What were we to do? We had no means
of defence 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 he rushing on certain death. The
horses might run home, and our friends
might come in search of Us, but the worst
they would apprehend would be some acci-
dent from the runaway horses. and. if they
came to the lonely house in the swamp. it
would only be 10 meet death at the thresh-
old. For the moment We We're safe. had
natural history enough to know that the
creature could not get up to the rafters and
tearaway the boards Of the upper floor.
Probably the beast had been missed imme-
diately, and | thought it 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 a wild best As cunning as it was
cruel. The most exposed point of our for
tress was the little window in the gable
The shutter opened nearly flush with the
floor, and beneath was Il little-lean-to from
the roof. of which the window 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, it be-
ho)yed Us to keep as quiet as possible. lie
might get tired Of waiting and watching
and 90 away, but, even if he did, We should
never dare 10 stir from our shelter. My
greatest fear was that the horses must 20
home, and that my husband, on thinking of
nothing worse than the oyerturn. might come
to look for Us, unarmed and deienceless. My
mind waseo full Of this dread that | do not
think | realized the terrors Of our own posi-
ton.
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 Dick :
hand tight, but she did not say word, nor
utter 4 cry.
Dick was far more moved than his sister
lie tremhled all over. and turned on me a
face so white and miserable, that in all our
distress was conscious of n surprised feel
ing at seeing a boy Of his spirit and charac-
ter 50 overcome.
All Is not hopeless yet l said, in a
whisper.
o Mrs. Graham, - said he, " it, all my
fau,tl''
- Nour fault? How can that be?''
4" oh. I've been such selfwilcd fool |,
When | went for the horses | met Mr..
Moore, and he told me he had Just heard
that the tiger had got loose, and | never let
him know that we were going to Galoosa.
because | was sure if | did he'd come up
and put a stop to our ride; and didn t
want to drive round by the mill, for |
thought the captain might have heard, and
all because | was so determined TO show |
could drive and to have my own way, and do
what I'd set out to do, and wouldn't be
lieve there was any danger till after We bad
started, and then it began to come over me
what had done. and that was why | want
ed to take the short road. and now | have
killed you and Diana and poor Dick hid
his face with a moan Of remorse and des-
pair.
Poor Dick? Many piece of boyish will
fulness and seli-confdenee had | known in
my time, but none that seemed likely to
bear such bitter lrnit.
- q Dick :" was all that Diana said.
1t was no time for reproacheS, and ! used
none, | am glad to think; but confess that
for moment felt bitterly resentinl. The
beast below, hearing our voices, reared him
self on his hind legs and, as his head near
IL baA bs rIe on NVl q
he tore at the wall with his claws until the
whole house shook, and the great splinters
flew from the solid oak logs. lie switched
his tail to aud fro. and whined and chatter
ed his teeth like an angry cat that sees a
bird Just GU t of her reach, and then resumed
his swift, re stless movement to and fro.
could not bu t gaze with Il sort of Mortified
admiration t 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 tt en-, as the tiger repassed the
opening in the floor, he set up his bristles
with a low, deep howl. | 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 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 some
times in a dream | SIZE those eyes as | saw
them then. 1t began to grow toward dusk
and the little light there was in our prison
grew DINNER.
Suddenly the dog be gan scratching at the
window-shutters, as though anxious to get
out. | tried to quiet him, bat in vain; and
then, longing for a breath of fresh air,
ventured to open the shutter ty fingers
breadth. The instant l did SO, the dog
forced his way through, and fro m the roof
of the little shed sprung to the q ound, 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 &c ho and re-