The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-05-18


passing into pure white on the under parts.
| The tail was long and full and uudulated in
| snake-like movements. Its fang-like teeth,
| barred by the dropping under jaw, shone
white and cruel in the moonlight The eX-
preston on its face as it moved silently for
ward and raising it's head shifted eagerly in
the night air, was appalling. 1t was the
expression of demon.
| Mr.. Hartley does not know what pre-
vented him from screaming aloud with
terror. Perhaps the thought of the help
| less woman sleeping in peaceful uncon-
scioT:sness by his side; perhaps sheer in
ability to utter an 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
glazing orbs which glistened with such n
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. He1must 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. Somehow or other, as with
really brave men in the most trying situa-
tons, when face to face with danger, his
innate courage nerved him to the emer-
gcncy. Keeping his eyes steadily fixed
upon the tiger, he placed his left hand be-
hind him and very slowly and with infinite
caution pressed it gently down over Mrs.
Hartley's mouth. 1t was dreadful mo-
ment. If she should cry out the ferocious
beast, which had already begun to show
symptoms of anger, and appeared to be
gathering itself for a spring, would I'M
doubtedly leap upon them.
At that moment Mrs. Hartley half reused
herself from sleep She murmured some
thing unintelligible.
"My dear" said the merchant, in low
constrained voice, fare you awaken
Eyes," came back the dreamy response;
and again he pressed his hand, this time
more decidedly, upon the face of the half
conscious woman.
"What is t." she asked.
"Hush! Do not str, on your life Look
over my shoulder. Quietly; be brave, lit
tie woman; remember, your life depends
upon your silence!'
The unfortunate man felt his wife trem-
Bile from head to foot as in obedience to his
instructions, she glanced in the direction
indicated, where their awful foe confronted
them.
II see it." the whispered But beyond
this, and the involuntary tightening Of her
grasp upon the husbands arm, the plucl1y
woman made no sign. Face to face with
danger, her courageous nature asserted it
self, and the woman who would have run
shrielting from a 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-fashioned bed
steads, it stood close to the floor, so that a
man could but barely squeeze under it,
Their one chance of escape lay in their be-
ing able to get beneath this shelter before
the animal should make the fatal leap which
they were now every moment expecting
With admirable GOODNESS, never for mo-
ment 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 the wall. In few mo-
ments, the words "All right coming from
beneath, assured him that the plucl1y little
woman had successfully accomplished the
feat. Now to get there himself. Suddenly
Selling all the bedclothcs in his hands, with
loud cry the merchant sprang towards the
tiger, and ere the startled beast could OK
tricate himself from the coverings thus
hurled upon him, Mr. Hartley had also
squeezed his way in under the bed.
1.-THE corner! The corner! 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 peniousl fo,.traco opau +o
attack. 1t soon came. With bloodhound
ling yell, having disentangled himself from
the clothes, the enraged animal sprang
forward. Maddened 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 and shoulders beneath the
bedstead. Realizing that their lives de-
pended upon keeping the bedstead upon the
floor the terror-stricken pair chung desper-
ately to the Stats. Twice the animal sue
ceeded in forcing the forepart OF his head
underneath, and twice he was compelled by
the weight above him to abandon the advan-
tage thus gained. o, if the bedstead was
only an inch or two lower! '"rhe casters,
James, shouted Mrs. Hartley, remove the
castorS.n
Quick as flash the merchant. dragging
himself to one corner, raised with his back
the heavy piece of furniture and withdrew
the casters; and this he did to the other
three corners in succession as the the oppor-
tunity occurred, thus bringing the bedstead
down so low that the animal 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 tho floor. Breathing
heavily, the perspiration streaming from
every pore, he awaited with feeling
akin to despair the moment when the
huge man-eater, which, baffled for mo-
ment, had drawn Off to little distance,
should renew his fierce attempts to reach
them. Just then his foot struck against
hard substance. 1t was the sharp edge
of small box of tools which he had
but short time previously given to his son,
a boy of twelve, then absent on visit to q
schoolmate in New York, and which the
little fellow had, no doubt, placed under his
parents bed for greater security during his
absence. Thank heavens! his own gener-
osity to his son now provided means of
delivcrance. If the tiger would but remain
where he was for minute longer he could
screw the bed down to the floor and thus
effectually prevent the animal from reach
ing them. With trembling hand he drew
the box toward him. What if it should be
locked? A cold sweat broke out upon him
as it resisted his efforts to open it. No, he