St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-06-12


India. Smoking. and looking out OF
the pal;nquin window, in the faint hope
of discovering some wild animal cross
ing the glades in the moonlight, | must
have almost unconSciOusly got pretty
good idea of the road, for remembered
it generally distinctly enough after
wards. when had to travel it under
less comfortable circumstances. But
there were no wild animals to he seen
of the kind | was looking for. Jackals
raised their uncarthly cry now and then
in the reccSses of the jungle, and the
great horned owl fitted across the road
from one patch of bamboo to another
but of tigers there was no sign, which
was Just as well, considering that we
had left our guns and rifles at kindly,
waiting our return, and had not even a
pistol between lis. 1t was hard to get
any information out of the bearers re-
garding the character of the road. for
they spoke Telegu, and had but Il very
slight acquaintance with IIindustGni
and beside this. they were suTky, so
that having tried to get some informa-
tion from them in vain. | gave it up as
ii bad job. and throwing away the end
OF my cheruot, composed myself to
sleep again.
| don't think could have slept more
than half an hour. when I was awaken
ed this time by the renewed clamor of
the hearers. who. crowdMg about the
/ door of my palanquiu, which they had
allowed To fall roughly on the ground,
chattered all together with surprising
volubilty and excitement. At first.
lalt-aSlccp aS | WAS, could not make
ont what they wanted; but when
gathered that my friend Waldron was
| seized with cholera. was alarmed in
deed. and crawled ont the palanquin as
speedily lis | could, to render him as
SiStancc. The bearers were all fright
cncd and helpless as Il flock of sheep
with wolf in their midst. and | could
see that they We're perfectly panic
stricken. On reaching Waldron's palan
quin. which was hundred yards or 81
ahead of mine. found my friend as |
thought. very ill. and. as he family as
>ured me. suffering from all the symp-
toms of cholera. What was to he done
We had no medicine hut quininc. and
il WAS vain to look for any. Fortu-
natclV. we had brandy. without which
an Indian traveller rarely journeys. and
of this made Waldrnn swallow con-
siderable quantity neat Then | ran
back to call the hearers to proceed
without an inStant'> delay: but imagine
my ,li>may when discovered that they
had one and all disappeared | shouted
and called without effect. There was
no answer ran back upon our road
fnr some distance at my best speed. but
could see no one; shouted again and
again. threatened and cntreatcd 10y
turns, but only To the trees of the for
est. for no bearer was to he seen. At
last. | WIS obliged to own to myself
that we were deserted. and with no
little CONSERVATION. returned to my
sick friend. He WAS apparently worse.
and could scarcely speak. and Vet
could do nothing tor him. suddenly
the thought flashed across my mind
that | might return to the village We
had lctt. and. with the aid of the head
MAJ and the bungalow peon. compel
another set of bearers to accompany
me. told Wallrnn of this al once
and my pooi friend. who WAS 10y this
time 81 nervous and weak aS scarcely
t. he able to understand what | said.
silently squeezed my hand Il gesture
time 10 lic lost | wrapped Il blanket
rround him. and set off upon my lonely
crrand 10y the tlickcriug light of the
moon.
At first. | WAS too much engro>>cd hv
poor WaldIonS pitcous state To think
much OF my surroundings and had
gone over perhaps half the distance
that divided us from the last STAGE we
had left. when became painfully aware
that was in very awkward prcdica-
mcnt myself. 1t was that part of the
road where the hamhooS grew thicklv.
and | WAS passing great cluster of
canes whose fcathery leaves olScurcd
the light. when tripped over II stone,
and fell flat on the road. | WaS not
much hut only my knee bruised but
i'll getting up again to brush the dirt oil
my clothes. | happened to look back.
and an indcSciihablr sensation of awe
came over me ut what | SAW in my
tracks: There Tds tiger toiloring me-
At first, | would not believe it: | rea-
Soncd with myself that such Il circum-
stance WAS impossible. Il am nervous
tired. anxious, and have. perhaps, an
attack of fever coming on said to
myself: land that dark thing there in
the road that fancy is IL tiger crouch
ing. is no tiger at all. hut only shadow
or il stone. It's all nonsense. Think
of Waldron. and step out" did 50.
encouraging myself as | walked lis fast
as could, without actually running.
by such reflections as these. although |
felt III cold perspiratiOn, and my
knees knocked together, | am not
ashamed to say, with pure fright. Re
member, had no rifle, gun. or even ii
pistol with me. and WAS quite at the
mercy of the tiger. if tiger il was. Per
iIapS, for one hundred yards or so. re-
strained my curiosity to look round
again, but mt last this Overcamc my
sense of prudence. and | stopped short
and faced round. There could he no
mistake this time. Not thirty PAGES
from me. standing full in the moonlight,
was Il large tiger. which rrouchcd to
the ground directly | turned. do not
know what another person Nould have
done under the circumstances for my
self. felt for the moment mad. with
mingled rage and terror To he foIIom-
ed thus was cruel and irritating. and
there must be an end to it. This was
the predominant thought in my mind,
though | was at the same time cold
with fear. | cursed the tiger in my
heart, as if he was reasonable being
opposing my wishes, and in the Wild
ness of despair, threw up my arms
suddenly, and shouted with all my
strength. l knew it was neck or moth
ing but my joy was greater than | can
express when saw the tiger rise and
slink into the jungle. He did this so
tlx- L,
look hard at the place where he had
been to feel ;Ssnrel he mns rnnllN rnne