The Benton record. [volume] (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]) 1875-1879, 1877-02-16

ence in such expeditions. But thought
Of the girl, and hoped the tiger had missed
her; and in anticipation feltthe triumph
Of killing him before she had fallen into
his power. So told the natives would
60 with them, and left my men in the
village, with strong suspicious that they
would all be drunk when [ came back.
"With my gun over nay arm-l had
both arms then-I stole softly along over
the baked earth with my dusky compan-
ions who did not seem to mind the heat
at all, but went on, with skins glistening
in the sun, with eyes that looked stealthily
on every side as they advanced. 1t was
the first time | ever hunted tiger, and
from the moment we started | felt a strange
excitement, more painful than exhiIarat-
ing.
'Tn an hours time we reached the gul-
ly--the deep bed Of a dry stream-a place
water. The place was not SO dry but at
some parts oft grew wild luxurlance OF
vegetation, gorgeous blossoming of deep
colored flowers, and the air was sickening
and heavy with the perfume Of them. AS
we came close to the ruins | thought the
halfdozen natives with me gave some
signs Of disposition to shirk out of too
near an approach to the supposed lair of
the beast I did not know much about
| those fellows then; but | have learned to
| think since that, on the whole, they are
about as brave as the average Of us human
beings.
II had reached the thickest part of the
tall shrubbery, and saw ahead the CLEAN
of an open space-a wart Of the empty bed
of the stream. With my gun cooked
carefully pushed aside the leaves, feeling
as if some dreadful sight was 10 meet my
eyes. And true enough! In the open
space, but under the shade of a broad
leaved tree, sat a huge tiger-sat upon his
launches like a cat-panting, but appar-
emily enjoying his rest and his anticipated
feast. Lying in front of him, SO near tha
his paws touched her, was the motionless,
insensible body of a girl Of sixteen or sew
enteen, her long black hair streaming on
the ground, her face upturned and color
| less
"I could not tell whether she was dead
or not In that first horrible, fascinated
moment did not move. forgot that !
had gun. The tiger looked down at her,
touched her little with his paw, just as
had hundred times seen a cat do with a
mouse. His motion dispelled my immo-
bility. I raised my gun and took careful
aim and fred
"The beast looked up wildly, bounded
forward over the girl, then fell down and
lay still, the blood oozing from his breast
dashed through the branches and ran to-
ward the girl, hearing the natives push
along some way behind. One of them
must have been in advance ofthe rest, for
before had reached the girls side, heard
shrill cry of warning and horror from the
rear, and in the same instant | saw the tt
ger struggle to his feet again; ] caught
the green and yellow glitter Of his eyes,
the snowy sheen Of his fangs. All that l
saw in an instant-the next he had sprung
upon me. / felt, in the second of the great
est physical horror can imagine, his teeth
crushing through my fesh-then ] felt
him leaping away with me; then merciful-
ly the blankness Of Inconsistencies came
to me.
Captain Roland paused for a moment,
his face white, the hand that held his for
gotten cheroot trembling little. He had
spoken in the low, quiet tones that impress
SO deeply; and, by the quietness Of that
camp fire, with the distant howls Of fierce
brutes in the air, with that solemn sky
overhead, we all felt the horror ofthe story
: he told.
"When I awakened, the blazing sun
had long since passed the meridian ; long
horizontal rays Of yellow light came in mar
row bars between the boles of the trees o.
q grove a few rods away. was lying or
an open plain, in place did not know
though could not believe it to be fal
from the gully. But ] could not feel, mucl
less think, at first. BY degrees a sense o
pain began to grow upon me. was bruis
ed all over my body; ached everywhere
Only my left arm was free from pain, an(
: / looked down in wonder at it, glad tha
something had escaped.
Il cannot tell you the sensation tha
came over me as | saw, not my arm, but
mass Of flesh, and the linen Of my sleeve
a mangled object without shape.
"Just above my elbow my arm regainee
its form it was not apparently injure'
there. There was no sensation in it
was for the time being incapable of SUI
!, fering.
d "At the first moment I did not remen