Wichita eagle., 1889-06-06

fierce and glazing ofbs which glistened
with such baleful CLEAN as they met
his own, that at that moment the animal
would spring upon him.
Rapidly, as he became by degrees a
little calmer, he resolved in his mind
the best thing to be done. He must
wake his wife, but how to do so without
attracting the attention of the animal
and Fastening the impending attack was
problem difficult of solution. Some
how or other, as with really brave men
In the most trying situations when face
to face with danger, his innate courage
nerved him to the emergency.
Keeping his eyes steadily fixed upon
the tiger, he placed his left hand be-
hind him and very slowly and with in
finite caution pressed 1t gently down over
Mrs. Hartley's mouth 1t was dread
full moment If she should cried out the
ferocious beast, which had already be
gun to show symptoms of anger and
appeared to be gathering itself for
spring, would undoubtedly
LEAP UPON THEM.
At this moment Mrs. Hartley half
reused herself from sleep. She MUIR
INJURED something unintelligible.
my dear" said the merchant in a
low, constrained voice, 'tare you awaken
YES" came back the dreamy re-
spouse; and again he pressed his hand,
this time more decidedly, upon the face
of the half conscious woman.
"What is it," she asked.
"Hush! Do not stir, on your life.
Look over my shoulder. Quietly; be
brave, little woman; remember, your
life depends upon your sience.'
The unfortunate man felt his wife
tremble from head to foot, as, in ODE
dience to his instructions, she glanced in
the direction indicated, where their aw-
full foe confronted them.
II see it," she whispered. But beyond
this, and the involuntary Tightening of
her grasp upon her husbands arm, the
plucky woman made no sign. Face to
face with danger, her courageous nature
asserted itself, and the woman who
would have run shrieking from mouse
lay comparatively calm and collected in
the presence of almost certain death.
Having thus awakened his wife to the
dangers of their situation, the merchant,
a man of much resource, was quick to
act. The bed upon which they lay was
an old fashioned and heavy one, solidly
built of mahogany. Like most old fash
Toned bedsteadS, it stood close to the
floor, so that man could but barely
squeeze under it. Their one chance Of
escape lay in their being able to get be-
meath this shelter before the animal
should make the fatal leap, which they
were now every moment expecting.
With admirable GOODNESS, never for a
moment removing his eyes from those of
the tiger, he instructed his wife to creep
out softly on her side and get under the
bed, she being next to the wall In a
few moments, the words "All right"
coming from beneath, assured him that
the plucky little woman had successfully
accomplished the feat. Now to get there
himself.
Suddenly seizing all the bedclothes in
his hands, with loud cry the merchant
sprang towards the tiger, and ere the
startled beast could extricate himself
from the coverings thus hurled upon
him, Mr. Hartley had also squeezed his
way in under the bed.
.sThe corner! The cornerr' he shouted
desperately, and realizing the intentions
of her husband, Mrs. Hartley assisted
him to push the heavy bedstead up into
the corner of the room, thus leaving only
two sides of their ingeniously contrived
fortress open 10 attack. 1t soon came.
With a blood curdling yell, having dis
entangled himself from the clothes, the
enraged animal sprang forward. Mad
dened at the escape of his prey, he thrust
his huge paws again and again beneath
the bed, uttering deep mouthed cries
and endeavoring to force his massive
head end shoulders beneath the bedstead.
Realizing that their lives depended
upon keeping the bedstead upon the
floor, the terror stricken pair chung des-
perately to the stats. Twice the animal
succeeded in forcing the fore part of his
head underneath, and twice he was COM
PEELED by the weight above him to aban-
don the advantage thus gained. Oh, if
the bedstead was only an inch or two
lower. The castors, James," shouted
Mrs. Hartley; remove the casters"
Quick as a fash the merchant. drag
ging himself to one corner, raised with
his back the heavy piece of furniture and
withdrew the castors, and this he did to
the other three corners in succession as
the opportunity occurred, thus bringing
h. low, no t1,n
NAL could no more than get his nose
under the sides. The merchant, however,
was by this time SO much exhausted by
his terrible exertions as to be physically
incapable of longer holding the bed down
upon the floor.
Breathing heavily, the perspiration
streaming from every pore, he awaited
with feeling akin to despair the mo-
ment when the huge man eater, which,
baffied for a moment, had drawn off to
a little distance, should renew his fierce
attempts TO reach them. Just then his
foot struck against hard substance. 1t
was the sharp edge of a small box of
tools which he had but a short time pre-
viously given to his son, boy of IL.
then absent on visit to a school mate
in New York. and which the little fellow
had, no doubt, placed under his parents
bed for greater security during his alb
sence. Thank heavensl his own gen.
crosby to his son now provided means
of deliverance. If the tiger would but
remain where he was for a minute
longer he could screw the bed down to
the floor and thus effectually prevent