Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-07-31
THE .AMIR'S TIGERS.
EY CLARENCE PULLEN.

DY CLARENCE PULLEN.
A certain September evening, years
ago, found Gordon Trautwine in India,
in the province of Sindh and the city Of
Haiderabad. This young electrician, in
the employ OF the Indo- European Tcle
graph Department, had arrived by boat
from Kurrachee two days before.
Learning that it would be week be-
fore he could get up the river, he had
taken quarters at the house Of resident
who often entertained European visitors.
This bungalow, near the river side, was
a large, rambling edifcc OF one story.
with the usual extensive verandas, wide
doors and windows. Although situated
in the heart OF the city, its grounds were
Of considerable extent.
Gordon as the latest guest was as
signed to a detached building, separated
bv a wall from the rest of the establish
ment. This structure, which had once
been used for the storage Of merchandise,
irontcd upon a large compound or yard ,
surrounded on three sides by a high
stone and mud wall, the building form
ing the fourth side. The street passing
the front wall was considerably higher
than the level Of the yard. The one
room was high and spacious, and the
large windows at the back, overlooking
the river, were protected by strong iron
gratings, which admitted the cool breeze
from the water The single entrance tc
the building was in front.
To reach the main house Gordon had
to 20 into the compound and pass
through low doorway in the dividing
line between it and the gardens. In hi:
own yard was kept the buffalo COW
which supplied the milk used by the
household
On his second night at the bungalow
Gordon had sat in the main building,
one of company agreeably entertained
bvmlslc and cards until near midnight.
At last, the goodnights having been said,
he passed into the open air and went tc
his room to go to bed. His native lamp
was little open vessel in which cotton
wick ioated in cocoanut oil; this he ex
tinguished, and, clad in his pajamas,
dived between the mosquito curtains and
composed himself to sleep.
Some people who were in Haiberabad
quarter Of a century ago will remember
Amir Talphur's two great tigers, cap
tured in the Sakkar jungles, and kept In
captivity at his palace. Such persons
will be likely to recall the night when
both these savage beasts escaped and sci
the town in an uproar. Their cages
we're found empty with broken bars, aud
the mangled body of a native watchman
lying lr a by-street indicated the route
they had taken. This episode occurred
on the night of which l write.
Gordon had slept perhaps two hours
when he was awakened by the move
ments of the buffalo in the yard, which
was believing as if in distress. He was
not yet fully aroused when the butfalo's
noise was swelled by sound which
probably had not been heard in Haidera-
bad since the days before the Grand No
guIs, the roar of tiger at large. There
was scratching of claws on the street
wall, the sound of body striking heav
lily but softly irto the yard, one loud bel
low from the buffalo, followed by another
ending in stiaed sound, and then there
was heard only low, deep growls, min
gled with the sound of tearing flesh.
Gordon had started up INTO a sitting
posture at the first alarm, and up to this
point had remained in that position listen
ing, with suspended breath. Now h'
slipped from bed, sad going to the open