The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-07-13

passing into pure white on the under parts.
The tail was long and full and undulated 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 its head smiled 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-
seriousness 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
glaring orbs which glistened with such a
baleful CLEAN as they met his own, that at
that 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. Heumust wake 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. Somehow or other, as with
really brave men in the most trying situa-
tions, when face to face with danger, his
innate courage nerved him to the emer-
gency. 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.
Hartleys mouth. 1t was dreadful mo-
ment. II she should cry out the ferocious
beast, which had already begun to show
symptoms of anger, and appeared to be
gathering itself for spring, would ur-
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 a low
constrained voice, ''are you awaken
"Yes," 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 it?n she asked.
"Hushl Do not stir, on your life. Look
over my shoulder. Quietly; be brave, lit
tie woman; remember, your life depends
upon your silencei'
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.
81 see it." the whispered But beyond
| this, and the involuntary tightening of her
grasp upon the husbands arm, the plucky
woman made no sign. Face to face with
danger, her courageous nature asserted it
self, and the woman who would have run
shriehing 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, q
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
! 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 IAN 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 ex-
tricate himself from the coverings thus
hurled upon him, Mr.. Hartley had also
squeezed his way in under the bed.
1.-THE corneri 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 ngeniousIy-contrived fortress open to
attack. 1t soon came With blood curd-
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-
ateiy 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 lowerl 1.-THE castors,
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 castors; 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 the floor. Breathing
heavily, the perspiration streaming from
ha fo1 xxrsf
akin to despair the moment when the
huge man-eater, which, baffled for mo-
ment, had drawn OF 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 q small box Of tools which he had
hut a abort time Yl,nxi ci var, n hia sora