Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-05-14

the door . bamboo partition ran across
the room. In this rear room goods be-
longing to various parties were slowed
ct fixed charge, while the family 90
cupied the front room as living room.
The door in the partition slid up and
down In grooves.
When we began our watch we fastened
the door securely. The window beside
It was an opening about two feet square,
protected only by . cloth curtain. The
one at the rear had wooden blind, and
this was fastened on the outside.
1t was hot and sultry night, and wc
had jar Of water and brandy in the
store-room. The front window COM
manded q good view of the country over
which the tiger was expected to APP
proach, and for two hours peered and
listened and waited, but without re-
ward. The native was stretched on the
floor and sound asleep. Weary with
standing on my feet and my throat very
dry for the want of moisture, I quietly
aroused my companion and told him to
watch while refreshed myself was
behind the partition drinking from the
jar when the native uttered a low cry of
alarm and bounded in upon me and shut
down the door. had the jar yet in my
hand when heavy body dropped to the
floor and heard the snarl and saw the
form of tiger in the hut. This was
what had happened: The tiger had ap-
preached the house from the opposite
direction. and, creeping softly around,
had sprung for the opening and into
the natives face. In his alarm the
man had started back and dropped his
gun, while mine was leaning against
the door. He had shut the partition
door, however, and that saved US. There
we were, face to face with . full-grown
man-eater with only bamboo partition
between us and his fangs, and am
frank to say that for a moment I was
completely done for. The native flung
himself down on his face without q
word, and knew that neither sugges-
tions nor aid could be expected from
him.
1t was starlight night, but the small
opening in the wall of the hut made the
room pretty dark. I could just make
out the outlines of the tiger as he moved
to and fro, while his eyes were like two
small lanterns. There was no floor in
the hut, the ground being beaten hard
instead, but could feel sort of jar as
the tiger moved about He made a
thorough inspection of every thing in
the front room, and then turned his at
tention to me. My revolver was in my
baggage, and so was entirely destitute
OF weapons. had seen the native wear
ing long knife during the day, and I
called to him to know if he had it with
him. He was crying with fear, and
would not answer me. I went over to
him and found the knife in a sheath at
his belt, and when had it in my hand
my courage came back in moment.
About that time the tiger had discov-
cred that the only victims in the cabin
were behind the partition, and he found
ed against it right opposite me with q
force that made every thing crack. Left
to himself he would have knocked it
down in short order, but was there to
Interfere. hacked him with the knife,
and from the way he snarled and spit
knew that had cut him. He withdrew
to the far end of tho room, growing
menacingly, and 1 could hear him lick
the blood which the knife had drawn.
The general situation was far from
pleasant. By knocking on the rear
shutter and calling out I could make
Captain White understand how matters
were. but on second thought felt that
it would be to his risk. The tiger might
60 out at the opening any moment, and
If he encountered any one outside q
tragedy was certain. To alarm the vii
lage was to bring about the same thing.
Even If could get out of the rear win
dow by forcing open the shutter the tiger
had only to 20 out of the other window
at the same time to pick me up. felt
that I was a pretty fair match for him
with the knife in my hand, and hoping
that he would give up and leap out Of
the window after receiving another cut
decided to wait. I could just make
him out as he lay on the floor near the
door, and was standing close to the
partition when he suddenly uttered a
roar of anger and charged. He struck
the sliding door with great smash,
and his right forepaw struck at me
through one of the openings. l hacked at
it and gave him severe cut in the leg.
This time he set up such dreadful
roar of pain and rage that half the vii
lage was aroused by the noise. He
drew back and ran along the partition,
probably hoping to find weak spot,
and three several times he reared up on
his hind legs, seized the BAN boos in his
teeth and shook them as you have seen
dog worry at a root when digging at
the hole Of some wild animal. Then
he bounded toward the front and sought
to go out of the window, but stuck in
the opening, snarling and growing, and
finally dropped back. He tried this
three times and then gave up. AS we
afterward discovered, there was huge
silver on the log at the top of the
opening. This pointed inward. AS the
tiger crowded his bulk into the opening
he pressed this silver up against the
log. When he undertook to go out tho
silver diminished the size OF, the OPEN
ing and stuck in his back like dagger.
The uproar he made alarmed Captain
L.