Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-12-10
PHANTOM STRANGLERS.

In the immediate vicinity of ourbar-
rack was the palace of Il rajah whose
private menagerie was the most COM
plete outside of Mana Sahibs. But
long before our coming into the prov
ince OF Eelhi the old rajah obliged
the world By getting ont Of it and his
tigers two of which were always ut
heels, we're set free and vanished IN
their native jungles.
There was story that the IA all
himself belonged to the strangers Of
India; that he was in fact at the
head OF . lot OF thugs and had sworn
10 take the lives of so many English
soldiers. But death. as | have said.
interviewed and put stop to his depre-
datious though not until twenty men
had felt the cord.
We lost Corporal Sanders a witty
young lrishman. the week after we
came back To Agra He was found
dead Mt the foot OF the rajah wall
and ut q spot where the wall was
solid and no signs OF door were visl-
bic. Then we heard story that
created u sensation. A native said
that Il man had been killed by the
phantom strangers; that the ghosts of
the old ra.ah and his followers stole
forth from the gardens every night
and pursued the same murderous call
ing they pursued when in flesh and
blood
One night three weeks after SAN
ders's death, found myself near the
wall OF the raiah's garden. The
moon was hang ng in the sky like a
great silver shield and everything
was still but the night bird that
crooned in the heat of tall tama.
rind as ghostly as a dead man.
had lately emerged from the hos
pitaL having had a siege of fever
which nearly sent me to the dead
house and was privileged char.
acter nit has / FOR duty.
III ~ yrO.-on!4g ne wall against
which the moon shone / came face to
face with one OF oIr regiment who
stood guard within a few yards OF
where poor Sanders had been found.
! leaned forward so as not to disturb
the sentry, for knowing the feelings
OF the boys over the surgeons sup.
pressed report l feared a bullet from
his musket and resolved to watcn
the fellow awhile to see if he dreaded
his beat
While | looked it seemed to me
that door opened in the wall and
though the soldier on duty was Look
ing n the same direction. figure
came out But this WAS not all. At
the maps heels stalked a large tiger
] saw both man and beast with dis.
tinctness that added much to the
sight and when | observed them
they drew up and the natlva leaned
against the wall until he discovered
the sentry.
The tiger crouched at his feet and
/ could see that he was one OF the
largest OF the species. / had seen
tigers before, but never one just like
this. There was something ghostlv
about the beast. for l seemed to see
through his body; and as for the
man, who was quite naked | was sure
l could see the ivy that grew directly
behind him.
| wondered why the soldier did not
see the man and tiger and was on
the eve of giving the alarm. for muir
der seemed a-foot when he fell back
and nearly dropped the gun.
The sentry had seen the foe. for he
Immediately Strengthened along the
wall and for a full minute stood rigid
there
Shoot the scoundreln' was on nv
lips when the guard raised his musket
and his cheeks dropped to the glinting
barrel but he did not fire.
stood in the shadow OF tamarind
speeches. and spellbound. Every
thing | had ever heard about ghosts
came back and some of the weird
tales OF my nurse returned with added
force Why didn't tho sentry shoot
and kill the man. whose long arms
dangied suspiciously at his sides?
Why didn't he fire, and then prepare
to bayouet the tiger?
All of sudden the soldier fell back
against the wall. and to my horror
saw the gun drop from his fingers.
Instead Of falling. he stood there as
stiff as post with his eyes starting
from his head and his hands tearing
their way into the palms. 1t was a
picture OF deadly fright
saw the two phantoms leap to.
ward the man at the wall the hands
of the native flew out. and the next
moment both he and the tiger were
upon the guard.
II had had power at my command
] would have sprung to my comrades
rescue. but ! was as helpless as q
child. The terrible scene going on in
my presence terrified me into utter
helplessness and watched it through.
The moon passing behind a cloud
for d moment dissipated the tragedy
but when it reappcared / saw the ma
tive and the tiger vanish in the wall.
Everything was MS it had been. with
the exception Of the ASPECT OF the
guard. He still Rugged the wall but
with the most Mortified countenauce I
ever saw approached and looked
once into his face. / saw the staring
eyes and then dark mark like that