Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-01-07

s
in front Of mel The noise ! made
reused him; he looked mp anil then,
after deliberately stretching himself,
came lcaping with long graceful
bounds over the rank grass aud rocks
which separated him from the road.
lie did not seem bit angry, hut cvi.
IDENTIFY wished to get a nearer view OF
such an extraordinary object
Forty yards, how ever, ! thought was
quite near enough for safety Tho
tiger was In the road behind me now;
50 pulled nysclf together AMI began
to quicken my pace.
Would he stop disgustel after the
first hundred yarls, uld give NJ the
chase, or would he site, to 1t? quits
hoped he would follow me. and al.
ready pictured in nv mi1l the graphic
description would write honc " my
race with tiger
Little dill think what u terrible
race II was going t. BE- looked be.
hind me by Jovcl he was "stic,ing to
it" could mott judgc the distance; but at
any rate | was no further from him than
when we started Now for q spnrt,
! rode the nest half mile as hard rs
could, but on again looking round
found | had not gained yard.
The tiger was on my track, moving
with long, swinging trot, and goiag
quito a. quickly as was.
For the first time began to feel
anxious and thought uncasily Of the
ten long miles which separated mo from
safety
However, IL was no good thinking
now; 1t was my muscle AMI iron stccd
against the brute. could only do my
best and trust In Providence.
Now there was no doubt about tho
tigers intention; his blood was up, and
ON he came occasionally giving vent
To u roar which made the ground trsm.
bic. Another mile had been travcrscd
and the tiger was slowly but surely
closing up.
dashed my pouch "a tho ground,
hoping IT would stop him for Il few sec
onds; but he kept steadily on, and
felt II was then grim earnest
calculated we must be about seven
miles from camp now, and before |
could ride another four my pursucr,
knew, must reach me. Oh, the agony
of those minutes, which seemed TO mo
like long hours.
Another milo passed, then another.
] could hear him behind me now--pad,
pad, pad, quicker and quicker, louder
and louder turned in my saddle for
moment, and saw there wcro not
twenty yards separating rs! How
enormous tho brute looked, and how
tcrriblci Ills hugo tongue hung s.1,.
and the only sound he made Iyas a con.
tinucd hoarsc grow, u rage. while his
eyes seemed 10 literally flash fire.
IL was lil,c some awful nightmare,
aud with n shuddcr bent down over
the handles and new on.
As now sit quietly In my chair
writing, | iiul IL hard to unalyzc the
crowd Of memories that went crushing
through my brain during that fearful
ride | saw lung-forEottcn events IN
which Ia tlltcl part rise updistinct.
! ~ before me; and, while every muscle
was rGckcd with my terrible cXcriiun,
my mind was clear, and my life seemed
| TO pass before me like one long pan
Drama
On, on, ON; the slightest slip, know,
would Oc fatal; sudden jolt Il screw
| giving and should be hurled to in
slant death.
Human strength woull not stand
much H., re; the prolonged strain had
told upon me, and felt 1t would ,pIl
hc over My breath came IN trck
sobs, mist gathered before my cy,,-
| | was stopping. M leg, Refused to
move, aul u thou,anl fond, seemed 20
be lifting about me, holding me bncl,,
back; weight like Lad was nn jny
! chest; ! was choHihg ! wa, dying
Then few mpmcnt,, which seemed a
lifetime, and then -"rIsh--wtth roar
lilo thunder the tiger was on M, AMI
was crushed to the ground
Then heard shots fred, a Labsl Of
mems voices and all was blank
After many days Of unconsriousurss
and raging fever reason gradually re-.
| turned and learned the particulars Of
my dclivcrancc.
A party of officers had started with n
| shilSarco Tor native luntcrJ to trap
which had been prepared Tor the tiger
| A goat was tcthcrcd on the out,lurts Of
the Jungle, and the sportsmcn had
started to take up positions in the
/ trees near TO wait for their game,
/ which the blcat 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 cx.
| pectcd every moment 10 meet me on
my return journey As thoy passed u
| clump Of bushes ! camo In sight, about
a quarter Of mile in front Of them,
whirling along in cloud 81 dust
which hid my terrible purhurr. They
| soon, however, saw my awful danger
| The huge brute, mad with rage, hurled
| itself upon me Just as we reached them.
My friends stood almost pctriGcd
with terror and did not dare 10 fire;
/ but the bhikarcc, a man Of iron nerve,
and accustomed TO face sudden danger
Of all kinds in the hunting field, sprang
quickly 10 within a yard Of the tiger,
aud, putting his rifle almost 10 the
animals ear, fired twice and blew its
brains out, just in time 10 save my life.
was drawn from the pulpitating body
Of my dead enemy, everyone present
b, .icving II was all up with me.
Making O litter Of buuRhs they car
ricd me into tho camp, where lay for
many wccFs lingering between life and
death Chicago journal