Wichita eagle., 1888-01-12
A BENGAL INCIDENT.

There were two entrances to the drawing
room; this must be borne in mind TIL,
house itself was old fashioned, large anC
many gabled one, standing quite alone anc
solitary in a spacious garden; all the win
dows had been closed and the jalousies shut
and secured from the outside; the fatty gras;
blinds on the piazza had been rolled up anG
put away till another blazing morning called
for their refreshing shade. The night wa
perfectly fine, but moonless; there was 8
heavy dew rapidly falling like misty rain
which in hot countries is a perfectly natural
occurrence.
A few miles away was that part Of the
delta called the Sunderbunds, through which
the Ganges expands its branches as it ap
proaches the sea-a labyrinth of creeks and
rivers, Of jungle and stagnant water.
l went into the drawing room by what
may be called the back door, as it led into
the back drawing room and smaller one OF
the two: the other, far larger apartment,
communicated with this one by great folding
doors of gold and white. The back drawing
room was very full Of furniture, rather in
conveniently 50.
As was carrying an arniful OF books and
in my disengaged hand lamp, by throwing
the rays in front of me proceeded with toll.
cradle security, though slowly, but then of
course knew the room and could have gone
to my destination in the dark What struck
me as both curious and Initiative was the
fancy that the room seemed more impeded
than ever with the furniture, dark old fash.
Toned rosewood furniture that had been made
to match the grand piano. Tho various arti-
cleS looked as if they had been dragged about
the room. Possibly the darkness above and
around me helped the illusion, anyway they
had the appearance of having been gradually
spreading toward the center Of the room
round heavy and solid table. 1t was
this table that l wished to go to. l
walked very slowly, partly because I
did not wish to spill the books that I
had spent the last hour in collecting and
partly because of an unaccountably horrible
feeling that had come over me. This part OF
the house was quite silent, indeed it was often
SO Of an evening, and then it was very late
Ny brother had passed Ee Oh his way up
stairs, having been all day at Madrepore, and
no doubt beng tired had gone to bed. There
We're very few stairs at all, and the house was
practically one stored one, rambling and
full OF angles, having been built and added to
at various times; here and there little stair.
cases streamed out leading to long passages
and unexpected closets; the back drawing
room door itself opened from side fight Of
five stairs
As had encountered two small chairs and
an overturned music stand, stood still for q
second, looking for clear passage, and
thereby holding the lamp high and well
in front of ME. As l paused, amid the COM
plete silence that reigned, an immense tiger
slowly crossed the path of light, turning
on me two yellow burning eyes, cleaning
like vivid topazes-I stood there in stiffenad
terror and heard my heart beat-its mouth
was loosely parted and running with saliva
so wide was it hanging open at the corners
that the serrated edges of the lower lips were
plainly visible. 1t gazed with steadfast look
ofsuch grinning cruelty, such conscious malig-
nifty, that it petritied my blood and turned
my rigid limbs to stone. This description of
sight ana feeling was Of course the impress
sion of one vivid conception condensed by a
minutes agony. The tiger crossed the India
mating of the room with noiseless swing
ing gait, as it appeared to have come from
the obscurity near the piano, SO it vanished
into the obscurity beyond that is, outside
bLc pdtHNdS "a Cue idliUeif $1,000
perfectly immovable, still clutching the
books with my left arm, still holding the
lamp before me, still gazing at the place it
crossed, and apparently forever seeing that
awful look upon the tigers broad face It
seemed as if my eyes saw the face, though my
mind had rapidly suggested the frightful
probability that the tiger was behind me- At
the same time by some dual mental process it
was holding out hope that the animal had
passed through tine great folding doors into
the dark room beyond.
have no remembrance at all of my mind
debating the next action pursued; it seemed
Just all instinct INDUCED i'll by the body upon
its own account and fo- its own Immediate
preservation. at is obviously the mind that
wills" so say the scientists. Much confusion
has arisen by the misuse of the term "will
power" The will, instead of being, as de-
fined by Professor Edwards, that by which
the mind chooses anything" is the minds
faculty or power of making effort, and that,
as regards choice, we make effort to ascertain
which Of two or more things is preferable.
laid the books very carefully down with.
out making the slightest unnecessary noise or
the hand that held the lamp, and
tuch Sioh eio CikOi ci.S vi tue netts V
little chairs that had blocked my passage. |
silently swung it on to my shoulders and held
it so that it covered my head, then turned
slowly sidewise, with my mind impressed
with the necessity of keeping the lamp as far
as possible behind. This struck me at the
time as clever and Of unauestionable import
ance in saving my life. | managed to walk
gently out of the room. suppose / had
been in the room ten minutes, but it seemed
like q weary hour. As closed the door and
locked it my brother came down the passage
and passed on the flight of stairs He was
II Their in hurry. Era | called out to
him, ''do You mind fastening the front door
in the large drawing room as you go byf' |
could think of nothing else to say, and I said
it slowly and quite naturally. He asSented
and passed on, and l. without noticing il at
the time, lookup the chair again. and with
my lamp assembled the short flight of stairs
and proceeded along the passage TO my own
room, walking slowly and gusrde1ily. The
mind had evidently been so shocked that it
bad not recovered its dominant sway over the
body. 1t is not always the mind that wills;
here was the body taking care of itself, while
the minds faculty of making effort was held
in abeyanee.
Upon reaching my own room l put the
:bair carefully down and sat upon il The
amp had placed Oh the table at the same
lime. sat there fully five minutes. feebly
which room the tiger was in Then
got up with sudden aiacrity, took from
ny case large revolver and turned into the
passage. In a few minutes was in Ezra's
Dom: he " as bali uRdressei
What's the matter be demanded. witt
startled eyes. When had told him he took
1ly hand and wruug il. aYou may thank
Sod that you sre alive, old fellow then h.
dressed hurriedly. took a heavy rife from
'ack and filled his pocket with cartridges.