, 1889-07-04

moonlight The expression on its face
as it moved silently forward, and raising
its head smiled eagerly in the night air,
was appalling. 1t was the expression of
a demon.
Mr.. Hartley does not know what pre-
e him from screaming aloud with
terror. Perhaps the thought OF the help
less woman sleeping In peaceful noon
sciousness by his side; perhaps sheer in
ability to utter Al articulate sound pre-
vented him. Fascinated by the beast,
the feeling grew upon him that If he
should once remove his eyes from the
fierce and glaring orbs which glistened
with such a baleful gleap as they met
his own, that at a moment the animal
would spring upon him.
Rapidly, as he became by degrees q
little calmer, he resolved in his mind
the best thing to be done. He must
wax his wife, but how to do SO without
attracting the attention of the animal
and fastening the impending attack was
a 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, no placed his left hand be-
hind him and very slowly and with in
finite caution pressed Itgently down over
Mrs. Hartley's mouth. 1t was n 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 n
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, "are you awaken
YES" came back the dreamy re-
Spouse; and again no pressed his hand,
this time more decidedly, upon the face
of the half conscious woman.
"What is itY' she asked.
"Hushi Do not stir, ON your life.
Look over my shoulder. Quietly; be
braves little woman; remember. your
life depends upon your ~silencei'
The unfortunate mar felt his wife
tremble from head to foot, rs, in ODE
dience to his instructions, she glanced in
the direction indicated, where their aw-
full foe confronted them.
II see II" she whispered. But beyond
this, and the involuntary tightening of
her grasp upon her husbands arm, the
plucky oma made no sign. Face to
face with danger, her %courageou nature
asserted itself, and the woman who
would have u shrieking from n mouse
lay comparatively calm and collected in
thep 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, 30 hat n man could but barely
squeeze under it. Their ono chance of
escape lay in their being able to get be-
meath this shelter before the animal
should make tho fatal leap, which they
were o every oment expecting.
With admirable GOODNESS, never for a
moment removing his eyes from those of
the tiger, he instructed his wife to creep
put softly on her side and get under the
bed, she being next to tho wall. In O
few moments, the words can 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 n 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.
1.-THE corneri The ~cornerl' 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 in~geniously contrived
fortress open to attack. 1t soon came.
With a blood curdling yell, having dis
e~ntangled 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
tho bed, uttering deep mouthed cries
and e~ndeavoring to force his massive
head and 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 c~astors, James," shouted
Mrs. Hartley; "removo the casters"
Quick as a flash 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 Us
the opportunity occurred, thus bringing
the bedstead down SO low that the ami
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 n to be physically
incapable of longer holding the bed down
upon the floor.
Breathing heavily, the p~erspiration
streaming from every pore, he awaited
with q feeling akin to despair the mo-
ment when the huge man eater, which,
bafled for a moment, had drawn off to
NAAl