Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-22
A NIGHT WITH a TIGER.
Being the Thrilling Adventure of
Two Bachelors in India

In entering the draving-room there were
two doors; this must be borne in mind.
The house itself was old-fashioned, 8
large and many-gabled one, standing
quite alone and solitary in spacious
garden; all the windows had been closed
and the jalousies shut and secured
from the outside; the tatty-grass blinds on
the piazza had been rolled up and put away
till another blazing morning called for their
refreshing shade.
The locality was near that part Of the
delta called the Sunderbunds, through which
the Gauges expands its branches as 1t ap'
proaches the sea-a labyrinth Of crooks and
rivers, of jungle and stagnant water The
night was perfectly fine, but moonless;
there was heavy dew rapidly falling, like
misty rain, which in hot countries is per-
fectly natural occurrence.
Invent nto the drawing by what may
be called the back door, as led into the back
DRAWN room, and smaller one of the two
the other, a far larger apartment, communi-
Gated with this one by great folding doors
of gold and white. The back drawing room
was very full of furniture, rather lncon-
yeniently so. AS l was carrying an arm
full of books, and in my dlsengaged hand a
bulps-eye lantern, l proceeded with toler-
able 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 irritatIve
was the fancy that the room seemed more
iupeded than ever with the furniture, dark,
old-fashioned rosewood furniture, that had
been made to match the grand piano The
various articles 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 spread toward
the center of the room, round heavy
and solid table 1t was this table that
wished to go to. l walked very slowly,
partly because did not wish to spill the
books that I'd spent the last hour in collect
ing, and partly because of an unaccount-
ably horrible feeling that had come over me.
This part of the house was quite silent; in
deed it was often so of an evening. My
brother had passed me on his way up
stairs, having been all day at Madrepore, and
no doubt being tired had gone to bed. There
were very few stairs at all, as the house
was practically one-storied one, rambling
and full of angles, having been built and
added TO at various times; here and there
little staircases streamed out leading to
long passages and unexpected cupboards;
the back drawing room door itself opened
from a side flight of FIVE stairs. AS
I had encountered two small chairs
and an overturned music stand, L
stood still for second, looking for
clear passage and thereby holding
the lantern high and well in front OF me;
as [ paused amid the complete silence that
reigned an immense tiger slowly crossed
the path of light, turning on me two burn
ing yellow eyes, cleaning like vivid to-
pazes. ! stood there in stiffened terror and
heard my heart beat. Its mouth was loose
lv 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 steadtast
hook of such grinniug cruelty, such con-
scous malignity, that il frOZe my blood and
turned nv limbs to stone. This description
of sight and feeling was, of course, the i'm
preston of one vivid conception condensed
by minutes agony.
The tiger crossed the India mating of
the room with a noiseless swinging gait; as
II appeared TO have come from the ooscur-
ity near the piano. so it vanished into OBJ
SECURITY beyond-that is, outside the path
way of the lantern light / stood perfect
~
with nv left arm, still holding the lantern
before me. still gazing at the place 1t had
crossed, and apparently forever seeing
that awful look upon the tigers broad face
II seemed as If my eyes saw the face,
though my mind had rapidly suggested the
frightful probability that the tiger was be-
hind me- At the same time, by some dual
mental process, il was holding out hope
that the animal had passed through the
great folding doors into the dark room he
vond. have no remembrance at all of my
mind debating the next action | pursued;
1t seemed just an instinct INDUCED IN by
the body upon its own account and for ITS
own immediate preservation.
laid the books very carefully down with
out making the slightest unnecessary noise
or disturbing the hand that held the Ian
tern, and then raising with slow effort one
OF the heavy little chairs that blocked my
passage i silently swung II on IA my
shoulders and held il SO that 1t covered my
head, then turned slowly sldewise with my
mind IMPRESSED with the necessity OF keep
ing nv lantern as far as possible behind
me This struck me at the time as clever
and Of unquestionable Importance In saw
ing my life. | managed TO walk gently
out of the room | suppose had been IN
FIVE minutes, but it seemed like a weary
hour
ASH closed the door and locked it my
brother unexpectedly came down the pas
sage and passed me on the little stairs; he
was rather in a hurry.
.Godfrey,n called after him. ''do you
mind pulling the front door TO IN the large
drawing-room as you 60 by3" 1t seems
strange now but could think OF nothing
else TO say then, and i SAID 1t slowly and
quite naturally.
He assented and disappeared, and |. with
out noticing 1t at the time, took in the chair
again and with my lantern assembled the
short flight OF stairs, and proceeded along
the passage to my own room, walking slow
IL and s,larrieSly. The mind had evidently
been so shocked that IL had not recovered
its dominant sway over the body. Upon
reaching nv own room l put the chair
carefully down and sat upon 1t. The IAN
tern l had placed on the table al the same
time. I sat there a few seconds feebly
wondering which room the tiger was IN
Then got up with sudden slacrity, took
from It's case large revolver, and turned
into the passage again. In minute or SO
i was in Godfrey's room. He was half
dressed. "W hats the nattera' he demand
ed, with startled eyes. When l had told
him he took my hand and wrung it. you
may thank God that you are alive, old fell
low" Then be dressed hurriedly. took