The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1889-12-18
THE MAN'EATER.
A STORY or INDIA.

quite alone and solitary in spacious
garden; all the windows had been closed
and the ialousies shut and secured from
the outside; the tatty-grass blinds on
the piazza had been rolled up aud put
away until another blazing morning
called for their refreshing shade.
The locality was near that part of the
delta called the Sundcrbunds, through
which the Ganges expands its branches
as it approaches the sea-a labyrinth of
creeks and rivers, of jungle and stagnant
water The night was perfectly fine,
but moonless; there was a heavy dew
rapidly falling, like misty rain, yeich,
in hot countries, is a perfectly natural
occurrence.
| went into the drawing room by what
might be called the back door, as it led
into the back drawing-room, and smaller
OF the two; the other, far larger apart
ment, communicated with this one by
great folding doors of gold and white.
The back drawing-room was very full of
furniture, rather inconvcniently so. AS
/ was carrying an armful Of books, and
in my disengaged hand lamp, / pro-
ceeded, with tolerable security, though
slowly, but then, of course, | knew the
room and could have gone TO my desti-
nation in the dark. What struck me as
both curious and irritative was the fancy
that the room seemed more impeded than
ever with the furnitTe-dark, old
fashioned rosewood furniture, which
had been made to match the 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 ap-
pearance of having been gradually spread
toward the centre OF the room round a
heavy and solid table. 1t was this table
that | wished to go to. | walked very
slowly, partly because l did not wish to
spill the books which | had spent the
last hour in collecting, and partly be-
cause of an uuaccountably horrible feel
ing which had come over me. This part
of the house was quite silent; indeed, it
was often so Of an evening. My brother
had passed me on his way upstairs, hay
ing been all day at Madreporc, 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 angels, 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 n side-ilight of five
stairs. AS had encountered two small
chairs and an overturned music stands
stood still for II second, looking for {
clear passage, and thereby holding the
lamp high and well in front of me; as
paused amid the complete silence which
reigned, an immense tiger slowly crossed
the path of light, turning on me two
burning, yellow eyes, cleaning like vivid
| topazes. | stood there in stitfencd terror
and heard my heart beat. The tigers
mouth was 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 glared
with a steadfast look Of such grinuina
cruelty, such conscious nalignity, that
it froze my blood and turned my limbs tC
| stone.
The tiger crossed the udia-matting oi
| the room with n noiseless, swinging gait
as it tappeared to have come from the OBJ
security near the piano, so. it vanished
into the obscurity beyond-that is, out
side the pathway of the lantern-light.
stood perfectly immovable, still clutch
ing the books with my left arm, still
holding the lamp before me, still gazing
at the place it had crossed, and appar-
rently. forever seeing that awful looI
upon the tigers face. 1t seemed rs j
my eyes saw the face, though my minC
had rapidly suggested the frightful prob
ability that the tiger was behind me. A
the same time, by some dual mental pro
cess, it was holding out hope that thO
animal had passed through the grea
folding doors into the dark room beyond
l have no remembrance at all of my minC
debating the next action | pursued;
seemed Just an instinct INDUCED in by tn
body upon its own account and for it
own immediate preservation.
l laid the books very carefully dow
without making the slightest uunecessar.
noise or disturbing the hand tina, helt
the lamp, and then, raising with SLOW
effort one of the heavy little chairs tina
had blocked my passage, ! silently SWUNG
it ON to my shoulders and held i, SO tina
it covered my head, then turned slowl
sidewise, with my mind impressed wit
the necessity of keeping the lamp as IA
as possible behind me. This struck NJ
at the time as clever and of uuquestiona
BILE importance in saving my life.
managed to walk gently out of the room
suppose l had been in it five minutes
but it seemed like a weary hour.
As l closed the door and locked it, m
brother unexpectedly came down tn
passage and passed me on the little tligh
of stairs; he was rather in a hurry.
Godfrey" l called out to him, ed
you mind pulling the front door to in tn
large drawing-room as you go by!'
seems strange now, but | could think @
nothing else to say then, and ! said
slowly and quite naturally.
He assentod and disappeared, and
without noticing it at the time, took "A
the chair again, and with my lamp as
cended the short flight Of stairs, and pro
ceeded along the passage TO my own room
walking slowly and guardedly' TIL
mind had evidently been so shocked tina