Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-04-07

gorge ," said ii. lie may TURN up
on our veranda tonight, boys, to see
if he can find some light refreshments
here"
"He will get some black pepper which
will not agree pith him." said E. S. P,
who had gone into what we called our
armory and brought out his rifle
which he began to clean and make
ready for very active service.
By this time darkness had closed IN
about US. with the small respect for
twilight which SO bothers the enter
prising traveller in foreign lands. The
servants and workmen had dispersed
to their various habitations, and our
white-headed native factotum was
standing before us announcing dinner.
"Hush!" said H., putting his finger
up in q commanding way and listening
intently.
Didn't either of you hear some
thing drop over the wall.
"Oh, bother your Imagination! I'm
off to dinner" said /, rising abruptly,
and disappearing through the open
window. The other fellows followed
and were soon busily employed in
making the most of the meal of the
day and arranging about the morrow's
sport.
When t'To Tum," as we irreverently
called our venerable butler, brought
me my tea and biscuits at o'clock
the next morning, had much to ask
him, for E and I'll had gone off without
waking me, probably thinking that the
sight of them with two rifles in their
h, l. L. 4
be too exciting and tantalizing for me.
| found that the Massa Sahibs had de-
parted after a very hearty breakfast,
and taken st. John with them, carry
Ing a third gun in case of accident. A
railroad coolie reported distant
shouts, heard about an hour after the
Sahibs had left the bungalow; but
nothing had since been seen or heard
OF men or or maneater.
"You can open the blind, To Tum,"
said |, pointing to one of the windows
looking toward the north, for |
thought should probably see the con-
guering heroes returning that way,
covered with glory and thorn scratch
es. The butler had departed and left
me to my meditations and good inten-
tions of performing my toilet, and GO
ing to see what was doing on the line.
| continued to lie looking dreamily
out of the window, the jalousie of
which To Tum had thrown back. 1t
was not much of q view, consisting on
ly of a corner of the compound wall
aud the jungle beyond; but a soft
pinky haze beautifed everything, and,
tanned by a most delicious, cool
breeze, [ closed my eyes again and
dozed for q few minutes, utterly and
blissfully ignorant that sudden death
had just cleared that compound wall,
and was making, stealthily and wari-
ly, straight for my open window. |
heard-in dream, as it were, SO did
not heed-a curious scratching noise,
followed by soft, limping footsteps
across the veranda, then heavily
breathing, almost gasping, which
seemed so unpleasantly near that /
opened my sleepy, dreamy eyes just in
time to see his most Serene Highness
the Bengal tiger throw himself in an
utterly done for condition by the side
of my bed!
Here was situation. My very mar
row seemed to freeze in my bones, and
every hair on my head was alive with
electrified fright. | lay as still as a
corpse, and in my heart thanked q
conslderate providence which had
made the beast turn its back to me,
instead of it's villainous face. | was
too paralyzed even to think Of what |
could do to get out of theroom, which,
perhaps. was fortunate. The animal
had evidently run far and fast, as it's
painting sides and foam-daked Jaws
plainly showed; so there was just
feeble chance Of it's going to sleep, and
then would be the time to cautiously
escape. Its great murderous-looking
paws were stained with blood, and,
though [ could see that one Of them
was wounded, the idea would take
possession of my 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 upits ears and listened intent
ly. | also listened as well as [ could;
but every nerve was throbbing, and
the sound In both ears was as the
surging of stormy waves on g. pebbly
beach. |, too, however, caught
OISCduG CllCK, very IAlnJ ana III
distinct, and | could not make out
what it was. The tiger again
composed itself to sleep or to watch;
it was impossible to see if its eyes were
open Or shut. After lifetime of mis-.
cradle sensation, guessed, by the
even rise and fall of it's sides, that
1t must be having what might not
be more than the proverbial forty
winks; so now was my time, or never.
Not once taking my eyes off the OBJ
iect of my terror, | slipped out of bed,
which gave gentle creak, that, to my
fevered imagination, sounded like
death-knell. He did not move. I
wished [ had more on, / felt so defense
less. [ crept slowly to the door, not
taking one foot off the ground till I
had carefully steadied myself on both.
[ reached 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 sleeping
brute; when | looked again, what q