Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-03-08


cut the wine into three square
lengths firmly lashed them together
one over the other. When com
pleted it was the shape but rather
larger than the window In the
room IN which the tiger lay hidden
and the doors of which had been
locked. Our operations so far had
been conducted upon the verandah
outside, near the gardeners room ;
we then rolled up the wire netting
and carried it round the corner OF
the house to within a few yards OF
the big window here it was I'M
rolled again and flattened out, then
upon its surface we poured all the
shavings, rags, leaves and refuse
we had collected, and upon this
mass smeared and spread a guam
tity of lime left by the workmen
for the morrow. This we smoothed
down as well as we were able till
the whole mass assumed some con-
sistency and clung to the inter
stlces of the netting. Rance next
took some stout twine and I'M
provised a rough kind of needle
from a bamboo cane. With this
implement he sewed all over the
mass of stuff, thus making a string
netting that helped to keep the
composition in its place. SO far,
so good the most difficult opera
tion yet remained.
"Take ny gun,' said Godfrey to
me, and give me the revolver"
He pushed the revolver in his
belt laid hold of one end of the
netting, and threw off his shoes
With slow and noiseless steps the
netting, looking very much like a
large mattress, was carried exactly
opposite the window and laid gent
ly down; then both retired as ST.
lently as they had advanced.
Rance then brought from the
outhouse a ladder, and with ges'
ture of entreaty signed to my
brother to stand aside and take his
ritie in his hand. With bare feet
the Hindu crept mp to the window
again and reared the ladder against
the wall. Taking coil of rope
from his neck, he deftly fastened
it to the highest wall staple o: the
outside shutter. Descending, he
quickly enlaced the short strand IN
the side, and ran the thong through
the other staple. For the first
time he made a noise, but 1t was
unavoidable, and was caused by
the netting being drawn upwards
till it hung like a great curtain
covering the shutter and hiding
the window from as.
Godfrey and | stood ready to
fire.
The Hindu, perspirlng at every
pore. descended the ladder, which
he lowered aud placed horizontally
on the window sill and lashed 1t to
the bottom OF the netting and again
fastened that to the two lower
staples ou either side.
The thing was done ; far away
in the east the dawn was breaking,
above which the morning star was
slowly pallng his silver fire.
"But, Rance, the shutters are
still fastened |"
"SahIb, uufastened them
they are open the breath OF man )
hand presently the light VIII
stream through"
"Quick fetch another rifle"
When he returned took the gun
and gave him my revolver.
2 light breath of wind passed
murmurIng through the feathery
crowns of the slender cocoa palms,
two great spears OF light shot up
in the sky, somewhere in the gar
den a bird sang. The sun had
risen. "Wait the signal" whisper
ed my brother snow, Rance
The Hindu knelt down and lmlta
ted the bleating of a kid that bad
lost its mother. At the instant
Rance sprang to his feet the 81
T lence was rent by "A sunderlng
crash and a sudden terrific roar
the shutters were tom from thell
, sockets a great mass hurled 1t
q self precipltately through the win
, dow, and the tiger, with its hea'
and shoulders buried IN lime color
>. ed debris, was graphing in mad
, dened fury with an enemy III
could not see nor make much I'm
+ preston upon.
+ Our guns were at our shoulders
The animal was twenty feet iron
o us, tearing up the graveled pat
!. and coilDg itself in inextrlcaol
@ confusion IN the broken nettini
,s and splntered ladder. Rance ut
y tered loud cry. The animal ha'
fe freed his head, and stood with 1t
bleeding mouth in an enforced an
10 listening attitude. 1t was tn
II moment Godfrey had waited fol
20 and he fired. The tiger, EVIDENT
not seeing him, sprang at the viii
1r dow again, but missed the openin
hurlIng himself against the wa
ID and falling on the broken shutterI
at At the minute it alighted | aime
l.. l.. LII ll.n cLnnl ll