River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-05-15

II was a starlight night. but the small
opening in the wall of the hut made the
room pretty dark. 1 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. NJ revolver was in my
baggage, and so was entirely destitute
OF weapons. l had seen the native wear
ing long knife during the day, and I
called to him 10 know Il he had il with
him. He was crying with fear, and
would not answer me. / went over to
him and found the knife in a sheath at
his belt, and when had il in my hard
my courage came back in a 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 a
force that made every thing crack. Left
TO himself he would have knocked il
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 the room. growing
menacingly. and l 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 could make
Captain White understand how matters
were, but on second thought felt that
il would be TO his risk. The tiger might
go out at the opening any moment, and
If ne encountered any one outside a
tragedy was certain. To alarm the viii
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 go out of the other window
at the same time to pick me up. felt
that ! was 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 | 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 a great smash,
and his right forepaw struck at me
through one of the openings. hacked at
it and gave him a severe cut in the leg
This time he set up such a dreadful
roar of pain and rage that half the viii
lage was aroused by the noise. He
drew back and ran along the partition,
49,. .H.f~ NwxA L
and three several times he reared up on
his hind legs, seized the bamboos 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 a 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 the
silver diminished the size of the open
ing and stuck in his back like dagger.
The uprOar be made alarmed Captain
White, and he called out TO know what
was the matter.
THE tiger is in the front room and
can't get out" ! answered.
why don't you shoot him?"
The guns are in the room with him. y
When had fairly explained the stu
alton he advised that be on my guard
and ready to use the knife, and that it
would not be safe 10 make any new
move until we had daylight to aid us.
did not know at that time that the tiger
could not get out where he came in, or
could have forced the rear shutters and
escaped from the hut. The beast skunk
into a corner and lay there for time,
whining and growing. Then he tried
the opening again, and when he found
himself prisoner, he sat up on end
and howled with fear. believe could
have then driven him about with a
stick.
IS the tiger lost his ferocity the ma
tive with me regained his courage, and
by and by he got up and found heavy
stick among the bales of goods and stood
ready 10 assist me in beating off any
new attack While the entire village