Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-06-26

MHuucnCd WIFI rage tio h"6V "'N'''
eater tore fiercely at this fresh obstacle,
its sharp claws. however, failing to make
any impression upon the tempered spring
steel But it bent dreadfully. VIII 1t
hold? Yes, it bends, it is true, but even
those claws, terrible weapons though
they be- rebound harmless from the slip
pery and springy surface. Thank heavenl
1t forms a coat of mail through "hich
the huge beast cannot penetrate.
After few minutes of futile endeaVor
the tiger. exhausted with its exertions,
Law crouched above them. The man,
white with terror, could see the saliva
dripping from its jaws and mark the le-
rocious CLEAN in its yellow eyes as 1t
glared savagely down upon them. With
out covering. it was bitter cold. A deadly
chill crept over him. Would he and ms
wife survive the horrible experience!
His wife He reached out his hand ana
touched her. He spoke to her, low at
first, then louder. There was no response
Overcome with the horror of their
situation the unfortunate woman had
tainted Each minute seemed an hour
tiger above them, while his face was
turned away to escape the prurient odors
which its body emitted. In their expos
ed situation his wife would perish with
cold and fright Something must be
done. He saw, too, that beneath the re-
peated onslaughts of their foe even the
steel mattress showed signs of yielding,
. = utp Ia
box of tools again.
With the auger and saw it contained
why should he not cut his way through
the floor, drop into the parlor below, and
summon assistance? No sooner had he
hit on this plan than he proceeded to put
it into execution. Turning over on his
face, he bored with as little noise as pos
sible series of holes through the soft
pine flooring, and inserted the edge of the
saw 1t was new and sharp, and the soft
wood readily yielded to his efforts. Soon
he had cut hole two feet in length in
one plank. The tiger had not moved.
Mrs. Hartley was lying face down
ward, and groaned from time to time
uneasiy. She had regained conscious
ness, but replied to all her husbands
questions in an incoherent manner, and
the poor man thought piteously that per
haps her reason had given way under the
dreadful strain The thought urged him
on to renewed efforts.
The second plank was now cut through.
Breaking away the plaster beneath, he
thrust his legs into the hole thus made,
and hung suspended by his fingers.
Whilst in this position the thought in
voluntarily flashed through his mind
that perhaps the tiger might rush down
stairs and seize him, and he gripped the
rough boards tightly with his tired fin
gers. He would soon have to let go his
hold anyway. He felt his fingers grad
ually slipping from the boards He
looked up prayer trembling on his
blanched lips. The animal had not
moved from its recumbent position on
the bed Its eyes We're half closed, and
it was apparently becoming drowsy.
He let go his hold and fell-down,
down, down-away into space. 1t seemed
that he would never reach the floor.
AT this junctue the merchants wife
shook him violently by the shoulder and
exclaimed in somewhat irritable tone:
"For goodness sake, James, wake up
and cease dreaming about that wretched
tiger believe you are more frightened
about it than am
And he was -Austyn W. Granville in
Chicago Journal.