Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-04-30


on to dinner, !, said i, rising abruptly,
and disappearing through the open
wind low. The other fellows fol oWed,
and were soon busilyB empl oyed IN
making the most Of the meal Of the
day and arranging about the NOR
rows sport. ID a !. i5.85.
When ITO Tunl," as we irreverently
called our venerable butler, brought
me my tea and biscuits at 8 the next
morning had much to- ask him, for
E. and II. had gone off without wax
ing me, probably thinking that the
sight Of them with two. rifles in their
hands and q tiger in the bush would
be too exciting and tantalizing for me.
l found that the Massa Sahibs had
departed after very hasty breakfast
and had taken St. John with them,
carrying third gun in case OF acct
dent. A railway coolie reported dis
tant shots heard about an hour after
the Sahibs had left the bungalow; but
nothing had since been seen or heard
OF men or man-eater.
"You can open that blind, To Tum, -
said !, pointing to one of the windows
looking toward the north, for I thought
should probably see the conquering
heroes returning that way, covered
with glory and thorn scratches. The
butler had departed and left me to my
meditations, and good intentions OF
performing my toilet and going to see
what was doing on the line. contin-
ued to lie, looking dreamily out OF
the window, the jalousie Of which TO
Ttm had thrown back. 1t was not
much of q view consisting only of a
corner of the compound wall and the
jungle beyond; but q soft, pinky haze
beauti6ed everything; and famed by a
most delicious cool breeze, / closed my
eyes again and dozed Tor q few min
utes, utterly and blissfully ignorant
that sudden death had just cleared
that compound wall, and was making
stealthily and warily, straight for my
open window. I heard-in a dream as
it were, SO did not heed-a curious
scratching noise, followed by soft,
limping footsteps across the veranda;
then heavy breathing, almost gasping,
which seemed so unpleasantly near.
that I opened my sleepy, dreamy eyes
just in time to see his most Serene
Highness the Bengal tiger throw him
self in an utterly done-for condition
by the side Of my bed!
Here was a situation! My very
marrow seemed to freeze in by bones,
and every hair on my head was alive
with electrified fright. lay as still
as B. corpse, and in my heart thanked
q considerable Providence which had
made the beast turn it's back to me-
instead of it's villainous face. 1 was
too paralyzed to think ofwhat Icould
do to get out Of the room, which per.
haps, was fortunate. The animal had
evidently run far and fast, as it's pant.
ing sides and foam-faked jaws plainly
showed; so there was just a feeble
chance OF it's going to sleep
and then would be the time
to cautiously escape. Its great muir.
derous-look1ng paws were stained with
blood; and, though / could see that
one of them was wounded, the idea
would take possession ofmy weak and
agitated mind, that it was the blood
OF one Of my companions, and not the
tigers own. Suddenly, to my horror
the brute lifted it's head from it's paws
pricked up its ears, and listened in
tently. | also listened as we'll as
could; but every nerve was throbbing
and the sound in both ears was as the
surging Of stormy waves on pebbly
beach. I, too, however, caught a dis.
tant "click," very faint and indistinct
and l could not make out what it was
The tiger again composed itself to SLEEP
or watch; it was impossible to see il
its eyes were open or shut. After 9
lifetime of miserable sensations,
guessed, by the even rise and fall of it's
sides, that it must be having what
might not be more than the pro
verbal forty winks; so now was
my time, or never. Not
once taking my eyes off the object Of
my terror, I slipped out of the bed,
which gave q gentle creak, that, to my
fevered imagination, sounded like a
death knell. He did not move.
wished I had more on, I felt so de.
fenseless. crept slowly to the door,
not taking one foot of the ground till
I had carefully steadied myself. on
both. / Preached the only thing that
divided me from comparative safety,
softly turned the handle. The door
was locked! For one second I had
taken my steady gaze from the sleep,
ing brute; when looked again, what
cha nge! Head thrown back, ears
fat, eyes glaring savagely, and TANKS
trembling and quivering with the
stealthy movement of an animal
about to spring! But not at me! ]
followed the tigers glance, and caught
the glimpse of barrel of g. rife, just
one second-then a fash--a roar-a
struggle-and I fell senseless on the
floor.
When I came to myself I was lying
wrapped in my dressing-gown on a SO:
ia in the sitting-room. E. S. P. was
kneeling beside me with q bottle oil
something in his hand, and II. F. was
standing at my feet with an expression
of the greatest solicitude.
"Don't talk just yet old fellow"
said he; wait till your stronger, and
we'll tell you all about it. BY Jove!
you had narrow escape" -
) After g. few minutes quiet, my curl
osity awoke in full force. '"Tell me"
said I, "did you kill straight Off"
"Oh, yes," answered E.. S. P. Hes
as dead as mutton. But we had no
idea that you were there. To Tum
told us that you had gone to the line
ages ago; and we tracked the brute
through your open window, whore he
had taken refuge. II. wounded him
in the off hind leg, when we got our
first sight OF him in jungle; and instead
of coming at us he bolted. and led us
q precious dance. To Tum bolted
your door on the outside, thinking it
would stand a charge better in case
the tiger made one; but he thought
that you were safe off the premises. y
"Well," said ], shuddering at the
recollection, II really don't think ]