Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-12-05

chase, or would he stick to it. ! quite
hoped no would follow me. aud al.
ready pictured in my mind the graphic
description / would write home Of my
race with a tiger.
Little dill think what a terrible
race it was going 10 be. looked be-
hind me. by Jove! he was sticking
10 it," ! could not judge the distance;
but at aAy rate l was no further from
him than when we started. Now for
spurl! l rode the next half-mile as
hard as | could. but on again looking
round found had not gained yard.
Tho tiger was on my track. moving
with "A long. swinging irot, and going
quite rs quickly as ! was
For the first time | began to feel
anxious and thought uneasily OF the
ten long miles which separated me
from safety.
However. it was no good thinking
now; il was my muscle ard iron sleed
against the brute. lcould only do my
best and trust in Providence.
Now there was no doubt about the
tigers intentions; his blood was uD. and
on he came. occasionally giving vent
to a roar which made tic ground trem-
bic. Another mile had been traversed
and the tiger was slowly but surely
closing up.
dashed my pouch to the ground.
hoping ii would stop him for few
seconds; but he kept steadily on, and
/ felt it was then grim earnest.
! calculated we must be about seven
miles from camp now, aud before l
could ride another four my pursuer,
knew. must reach me. Oh the agony
Of those minutes, which seemed to me
like long hours!
Another mile passed. then another.
| could hear him behind me now
pad pad. pad. quicker and quicker.
louder and louder. | turned in my
saddle for n moment. and saw there
were not twenty yards separating as!
How enormous the brute looked, and
how terrible! His huge tongue hung
out. and the only sound he made was
"a continued hoarsc growl of rage.
while his eyes seemed TO literally flash
fire.
1t was like some awful nightmare.
and with shudfler ! bent down over
the handles aud ilew on.
As | now sit quietly in my chair
writing. | find it hard to auaIyze the
crowd of memories that went crush
ing through my brain during that fear
ful ride. | saw long-forgotten events
in which had taken part rise up dis
tinctly before me; and while every
muscle was racked with my terrible
exerlion, my mind was clear and my
life seemed to pass before me like one
long panorama.
On, on. on; the slightest slip knew.
would be fatal a sudden jolt, screw
giving. and | should be hurled to in-
stant death.
Human strength would not stand
much more; the prolonged strain had
told upon me. and felt it would soon
be over. My breath came in thick
sobs. a mist gathered before my eyes
| was stopping; my legs refused to
move, and thousands iiends seemed
to he fitting about me. holdiug me
back. back; weight like lead was on
my chest; | was choking; was dying.
Then Il few moments, which seemed a
lifetime, and then-crash-witha roar
like thunder the tiger was on me, and
| was crushed to the ground
Then | heard shots fired. Babel OF
mems voices. aud all was blank.
After many days Of uncousciousness
aud raging fever reason gradually re-
turned and | learned the particulars of
my dcliverance.
A party of officers had started with
shikaree or (native huntcr) 10 trap
which had been prepared for the tiger.
A goat was tcthered on the outskirts of
the jungle. and the sportsmen had
started to take up positions in the trees
near to wait for their game, which the
bleat of the goat. in the stiffness of the
night. would speedily have attracted.
They were talking of our coming BIZ
cycle race as they went along. and ex-
pectng every moment 10 meet me on
my return journey. AS they passed u
clump of bushes | came in sight. about
quarter Of mile in front of them,
whirling along in cloud of dust. which
hid my terrible pursuer. They soon.
however saw my awIui danger. The
huge brute. mah with rage. hurled it.
self upon me just as we reached them.
My friends stood almost petriiied
with terror and did not dare to fire:
but the shikarce, man of iron nerve.
aud accustomed to face sudden danger
of NIL kinds in the hunting field, spran /.
quickly to within yard Of tine tiger.
and, putting his rifle almost TO the an
inars ear. fired twice and blow its
brains out. just in time to save my
life. was drawn from the palpitat-
ing body of my dead enemy, every
one present believing that i. was all
up with me.
Making litter of boughs they car
red me into the camp where lay for
many weeks lingering between life
ard death.