The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-09-13
The bicycle and the Tiger.

Forty yards, however, thought was
n ear enough for safety. The tiger was
in tho road behind me now; so l pulled
myself together and began to quicken
pace. Would he stop, dlsgusted, after
tho first hundred yards. and give up
the chase, or would he stick to it?
quito hoped ne would follow me, and
already pictured in my mind the graphic
description would write home of my
race with n tiger. Little did think
what a terrible race 1t was going to be-.
looked behind me. BY Jovel he was
''stioking to it, could not judge the
distance; but, at any rate, L was no
further from him than when we started.
Now for a spurtl rode tho next half
mile rs hard az could; but, on looking
round, found l had not gained yard.
THO tieor WIS on my track, moving with
long swinging trot, and gong quite as
quickly as was. For the first time L
began to feel anxious. and. thought un.
easily OF ton loug miles Which separated
me from safety. However, it was no
good thinking now; it was my muscle
and iron steed against the brute. I
could only do my best, and trust in
providence. Now there was no doubt
about the tigers intention; Ills blood
Was up, and Oh he came, occasionally
giving vent to roar which made the
ground tremble. Another milo had
been traversed, and the tiger WAS SLOW
ly but surely closing up. / daahed my
poucl. to the ground, hoping it would
stop HIM for lew seconds; but he kept
steadily on, and felt it was then grim
earnest. calculated we must be about
seven miles from camp now, and before
L could ride another four my pursuer, 1
knew. must reach me. ., the agony of
those minutes, which seemed to me like
long hoursl Another mile passed and
then another. could hear him behind
me now--pAd, pad. pad, quicker, louder
and louder. L turned in my saddle for
moment. and saw th.re were not
twenty yards separating usl How enor-
nous the brute looked, and how ter
riblel His huge tongue hung out, and
the only sound he made was continual
hoarse growl Of rage, while his eyes
seemed to literally flash fire. 1t was
like some awful nightmare, and, with a
shudder, bent down over the handles
and flew Oh. AS now sitquietly in my
chair writing find it hard to analyze
the crowd Of memories that went rush
ing through my brain during that fear
full ride. L saw long forgotten events
i'll which I had taken part rise up dis
tinotly before me, and while every
muscle was raoked with my terrible ex-
ertion my mlnd was clear, and my life
seemed to pass before me like ono long
panorama. On. on, on; the slightest
slip IkHew would be fatal, sudden jolt,
a screw giving. and should be hurled
to instant death. Human strength
would not stand mnch more: the pro-
longed strain had told upon me-, aud
felt it would soon be all over. My
breath came IN thick sobs, u mist
gathered before my eycs--I WAS stop
ping; my legs refused to move and a
thousand hends seemed to be fitting
about me, holding me back, backl A
weight was on nv chest; l wus ono king.
l was dying. Then few moments,
which seemed II Lifetime, and then-
crash-wlth roar like thunder the
tiger was on me, and was crushed to
tho ground. Then heard shots fire, Il
Babel Of mems voices, and NIL was
blank.
After many days of unconsciousness
and raging fever, reason gradually re-
turned, and l learnt the particulars OF
my deliveranco. A party Of officers had
stnrted for tiger hunt. They came up
III the nick OF time, That was oil.