The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-22

wire into three lengths, laid them side by
side and lashed them together. When COM
pleted it was the shape, but rather larger,
than the big window in the room where the
tiger still lay.
Our operations had been carried on outs
side upon the verandah near the gardener S
room and the new clubhouse, then in process
of erection. Rolling up the wire netting, we
carried 1t around the corner of the house,
within few yards of the big window. Here
1t was nnrolled again and flattened out; then
upon It's surface we strewed all the shavings
and leaves we had collected, some bundles
OF long grass and rags, and then upon the
mass smeared and spread quantity of lime
lett by the workmen. This we sm0othed
down as well as we were able till the whole
mass assumed some consistency and chung to
the interstices of the netting.
Rance next took some stout Irvine and Inn
provised rough kind of needle from bam-
boo cane. With this he sewed all over the
mass OF stuff netting of string that helped
to keep the composition in place. When
finished 1t resembled nothing SO much as a
huge mattress.
So far so good. The most difficult opera
tion yet remained
Take. my gun" said Ezra to me. land
give me the revolver
''Sahib," said the Hindoo. ''let Rance COM
plete his task. is it not his work? II he
fails, shall he not suffer-"
You foolish manp' said Ezra. s,How
can you do it alone? We are wasting
time" sG
He pushed the revolver in his belt. laid
hold OF one end of the netting and drew off
his shoes. With slow and noseless steps
the netting was carried exactly opposite
the window and laid gently down then both
Ietlred as silently as they had advanced.
Rance then brought from the clubhouse a
ladder, and with gesture of entreaty signed
to my brother to stand aside and take his
rife in his hand
With bare feet the Hindoo crept up to the
window again and reared the ladder against
the wall. Taking coil of wire rope f from
his neck he deftly fastened it to the highest
wall staple of the shutter. Descending, he
quickly enlaced the short strand in the net
ting, placed the ladder on the other side and
ran it through the other staple.
For the first ime he made Noise 1t was
unavoidable, and was caused by the netting
being drawn upward till it hung like an i'm
mense curtain, hiding the whole of the win
dow from us.
Ezra and / stood waiting and ready to
fire.
The. Hindoo. with perspiration running
from him at every pore, descended the lad
der, which he took and placed horizontally
on the windowsill and dashed it to the bot
tom OF the netting and again fastened that to
the two lower staples on either SIDE
The thing was done. Far away in the east
the dawn was breaking; overhead the
rning star was slowing paling its silver
nre.
but-Ramee. the shutters are still fas-
tened"
'..Sahibi unfastened them Presently the
light VIII stream through: They are open
the breadth Of two hands,"
Quick! fetch another r.fie!'
He was gone. Swiftly returning, he
handed me the gun, into which | slipped e
couple OF cartridges, and gave him the re-
volver.
A light breath Of wind passed. murmurng
through the featbery crowns OF the slender
cocoa palms, two great spears of light shot
up into The sky, and somewhere in the
garden little bird sang. The sun had
risen.
"Wait for my signal" whispered my
brother: now, Ramee.v
The Ilindoo knelt down and Initiated the
bleatlng Of kid that has lost its mother
Al the Instant ne sprang to his feet the
silence WAS rent by sundering crash and
one terrific roar; the shutters were torn
from their sockets as great mass hurled
itself through the window, aud the tiger,
with its head and shoulders buried in the
lime-cul0red debris. was graphing in mad
dened rage with an enemy that he could not
see.
"Wait," said Ezra.
The animal was twenty feet from us, tear
ing up the gravelled path and coiling itself
in ineXtricabie confusion in the broken net
ting and splintered ladder
Rance uttered a loud cry. The animal
had freed his head, and stood, in an en-
forced listening attitude, with his mouth
filed with mingled wire and lime stain mat
ter.
It was Che moment Ezra had waited for,
and he fired.
The tiger, evidently not seeing us, sprang
at the window, but missed che opening,
hurting itself against the wall and falling on
the broken shutter. At the moment it
alighted | aimed at the spot behind the
shoulder and fired. 1t gave a convulsive
leap and turned in our direction with blood
shot ewes; then Ezra fired again and called
to me to do the same. 1t fell.
Back, back r. cried Rance
The animal had gathered itself together.
prang forward with one mighty bound and
rolled over. 1t was dead