The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-06-25

There, not forty yards off, was tiger
| knew the animal well enough; but how
different he looked from the lean, halfstarv
ed little beast [ had seen at home. He
had just come into the open space from
dense jungle break, and sat there washing
his face and purring in a contended sort of
way, like hugeh cat,
Was frightened? Not an atom; | had
my bicycle and a start Of forty yards, so
if could not beat him it was pity.
He had not seen me yet, and | stood for
another minute admiring the handsome
creature, and then quietly mounted; the
tiger was directly on my right, while the
road stretched straight away in front of
me- The noise | made reused him; he
looked up and then, after deliberately
stretching himself, came leaping with long,
graceful, bounds over the rank grass and
rocks which separated him from the read.
He did not seem bit angry, but evidently
wished to get nearer view OF such an ex-
traordinary object.
Forty yards, however, thought was
quite near enough for safety. The tiger
was in the road behind me now; so lpulled
myself together and began to quicken my
pace.
Would he stop, disgusted, after the first
hundred yards, and give up the chase, or
would he stick it out? quite hoped he
would follow me, and already pictured in
my mind the graphic description | would
write home of my race with tiger
Little did | think what terrible race it
was going to be. | looked behind me.
By Jove! he was "sticking to it" l could
not Judge the distance but at any rate |
was no farther from him than when We
started. Now for squirt. Irode the next
half mile as hard as 1 could, but on look
ing around found had not gained yard.
The tiger was on my track, moving with
long, swinging trot, and going quite as
quickly as I was.
For the first time l began to feel anx-
ious, and thought uneasily Of the ten long
miles, which separated me from safety.
However, it was no good thinking now;
it was my muscle and iron steed against
the brute. I could only do my best and
trust in Providence.
Now there was no doubt about the tiger 5
intention; his blood was up, and on he
came, occasionally giving vent to roar
which made the ground, tremble. Another
mile had been traversed and the tiger was
slowly but surely closing up.
| dashed my pouch to the ground, hop
ing it would stop him for few seconds;
but he kept steadily on, and / felt it was
then grim earnest.
I calculated we must be about seven
miles from camp now, and before could
ride another four my pursurer, knew,
must reach me. Oh, the agony of those
minutes, which seemed to me like long
hours
Another mile passed, then another. l
could hear him behind me now-pad, pad,
pad, quicker and quicker, louder and
louder l turned in my saddle for a mo-
ment, and saw that there were not 20 yards
separating u.s. How enormous the brute
looked, and how terrible His huge
tongue hung out, and the only sound he
made was continual hoarse growl of
rage, while his eyes seemed to literally flash
| fire.
1t was like some awful nightmare, and
with shudder | bent over the handles
and flew on.
AS I now sit quietly in my chair writing,
| find it hard to analyze the crowd of
memories that went rushing through my
brain during that fearful ride. saw long
forgotten events, in which had taken part,
rise up distinctly before me; and while
every muscle was racked with my terrible
exertion, 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; sudden jolt, screw
giving, and should be hurled to instant
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, mist gathered
before my eyes-I was stopping; my legs
refused to move, and thousand iends
seemed to be fitting about me, holding
me back, back A weight like lead was
on my chest; was choking, | was dying.
Then few moments, which seemed like a
life time, and then-crash-with a roar
like thunder the tiger was on me, and |
was crushed 10 The ground.
Then l heard shots fired, Babel of
mems voices, and all was blank.
After many days of Inconsistencies and
raging fever, reason gradually returned,
and learned the particulars of my deliver
ance.
A party of officers had started with q
shikaree Cor native huuter) to trap which
had been prepared for the tiger. A goat
was tethered in 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