Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-03-26

was over. Either he had killed the tiger
with his first bullet. or the tiger had
killed him before he could fire a second
| was intensely excited. If he were safe
! wished him to have the glory of coming
home quite alone. There was nothing
for it but to wait, so | went into my tent
and took a bath-a very simple operation
where the bathing consists in pouring a
huge jar of water over ones head. Tents
in India have always small side tent
with ditch dug to drain off the water
from the copious ablutions of the in
mates. Iemerged into the room feeling
better. 1t was now quite light. and
proceeded to dress lesurely to spin out
the time. As | was drawing on my boots.
lsaacs sauntered in quietly and laid his
gun on the table. He was pale. and his
karkee clothes were covered with mud
and leaves and bits of crceper, but his
movements showed he was not hurt in
any way: he hardly seemed tired.
"Well?" said anxiously.
Every well. thank you. Here they
are" and he produced from the pocket of
his coat the spolia opin,d in the shape of a
pair of ears, that looked very large to me.
There was little blood on them and on
trophies to me for inspection. We stood
by the open door, and while | was turn
ing over the ears curiously in my hands,
he looked down at his clothes.
IL think will take bath, =" he said :;
II must have been in a dirty place
My dear fellow" said, taking his
hand, ''this is absurd. | mean all this
affected calmness. | was angry at your
going in that way, to risk your head in a
tigers mouth; but am sincerely glad to
see you back alive. | congratulate you
most heartily"
THANK YOU old man." he said, his
pale face Frightening little. II am very
glad myself. Do you know | have a SUI
perstition that must fulfill every wish
of-like that-even half expressed. to the
very letter.
The superstition. a. you call it. is
worthy of the brsvest knight thas ever
laid lance in rest. Don't part with SUI
perstitions like that, They are noble
and generous things"
"Perhaps" he ans wered. but really
am very ~uperstitiousr" he added. as be
turned into the bathing commit. soon |
heard him splashing among the water
jars.
''By-the-by, GriggS-" he called out
through the canvas, II forgot 10 tell YOU.
They are briaging that beast hmne on an
elephant. They will BE- here in twenty
minutes" a tremendous spla-hing in
rerrupted him "IOu can 90 and attend
To that funeral you were talking about
last night. he added, and his voice was
again drowned m the swish and sou-e of
the water. He 0aS rather large-Over
ten feet should say. Measure him as
soon aS he- Another cascade com
pleted the sentence. went out. taking
the measuring tape from the cable.
Ia few minutes the procession ap-
peaTed. Two or Il zee matutinal ShiEar-
rie- had gone out and come back. follsw-
ed by the Elephant. for which l4aacs had
sent the ryot at full speed the lnoment he
was sure the beast was dead And 80
they came up the little hill behind the
dining-tenT. The great tusker moved
evenly along. bearing on the pad au
enormous yellow carcass. ut which tIeA
little m0hoW glanced occasionally over
his shoulder. AStride of the dead king sat
the ryDt. who had directed ISaacs. Groom
ing a stranger psalm of victory in his
OutlandiS1 northern dialect. and occa-
Sio aally c1apping his hands over bis head
with, an expression of the most intense
satisfactien have ever seen on u human
face. Tle little band came to the. middle
of the camp where the other tigers. now
cut up ami skinned elsewhere. bad been
deposited the night before, and as the
the whole load over, pad, tiger uyot and
all, the Latter skipping nimbLy aside
There hs lay, the great beast that had
taken Sc many lives. We stretched him
cut and measured him-eleven feet from
the tip of his nose 10 the end of his tail.
all but AN inch-as little more straight
enng slls the measure, eleven feet eX-
actly.
Meanwhile, the servants and shikarrie%
collected, and the noise of the exploit
went abroad. The sun was just rising
when Mr.. GhyrkinS put his bead out of
his tent and wanted to know what the
duce all this tdmnshd was about"
"Oh, nothing especial" called out.
"ISaacs has killed an elcNen-foot maui
eater in the night. That is all"
''Well, I'm damned" said Mr.. Ghyr-
kins briefly, and to the point, aS he stared
from his tent at the great carcass, which
| lay stretched out for all 10 see, the ele-
plant having departed.
Clear off those fellows and let me
have look at him, can't YOU" he called
out, gathering the tent curtains round