Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1892-01-09

lean, half-starved little beast had
seen..at home. He had Just come into the
open space from q dense jungle break,
and sat there washing his face and
purring in q eontentcd sort of way, lilss
. huge cat
Was I frightened? Not an atom;
had my bicycle and . start of forty
yards, so If could nol beat him it was
pity.
He had not seen meyet, and l stood
for another minute ad1niring the hand
some creature and thch quietly mount
cd (the tiger was directly on my right,
while the road stretched straight away
| in front of me). Tn noise l made
reused him; he loolkea up. and then,
after deliberately stietching himself.
came leaping with long, graceful
bounds over the rank grass and rocks
which separated him from, the road.
lie did not seem a bit angry. but evi-
dently wished to get nearer view of
| such an extraordinarySobject
Forty yards, how eyer, I thought was
quite near enough Ar safety. Tho
| tiger was in the road behind me now;
so pulled myself toaDther and began
to quicken my pace.
Would he stop dis9usted after II,
! first hundred yards, md give up tho
chase, or would he stiGak to it? quite
hoped he would follbw me, and al
ready pictured in my mind the graphic
| description would write home of my
race with a tiger.
Little did l think what a terribl 10
race it was going to be. I looked be-
hind me. BY Jove! he was sticking to
| it." could :,otIjudge the distance; but at
any rate was no further from him than
| when we started. Now for a spurt!
| ! rode the next half mile as hard as
| could, but on again looking round
found l had not gained yard.
| The tiger was on my track, moving
with long, swinging trot, and going
quite as quickly as l 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; it was my muscle and iron steed
against the brute. could only do my
best and trust in Providence.
Now there was no doubt about the
tigers intentions; his blood was up, and
on he came, occasionally giving vent
to a roor which made the ground trem-
BILE. Another mile had been traversed
and the tiger was slowly but surely
closing up.
dashed my pouch to the ground,
hoping it would stop him for few Sec
onds; but he kept steadily on. and ]
felt it was then grim earnest.
calculated we must be about seven
miles from earnp now. and before
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.
l could hear him behind me now-pad,
pad, pad, quicker and quicker louder
and louder. I turned in my saddle for
4 moment, and saw there were not
twenty yards separating us! How
enormous the brute looked, and how
terrible! His huge tongue hung out,
and the only sound he made was con-
tinued hoarse growl of rage, while his
eyes seemed to literally flash fire.
1t was like some awful nightmare,
and with shudder bent down over
the handles and few on.
AS now sit quietly in my chair
writing, l find it hard to analyze the
crowd Of memories that went crushing
through my brain during that fearful
ride. saw long-forgottcn events IN
which had taken part rise up distinct
" before me; and, while every muscle
was rackcd with my terrible exertiou,
my mind was clear and my life seemed
to pass before me like one long pan
Drama.
On, on, on; the slightest slip, knew,
would be fatal; n sudden jolt, scre W
giving, and should be hurled to in
slant death.
Human strength would not stand
much more: the prolonged strain haG
be over. My breath came in thick
sobs a mist gathered before my eyes
was stopping; my legs refused tc
move, and a thousand fends seemed tc
be fitting about me, holding me back
back; weight like lead was on my
chest; l was choking; | was dying.
Then 4 few moments, which seemed q
lifetime, and thcn-crash-with a roa,
like thunder the tiger was on me, and
l was crushed to the ground.
Then l heard shots fired, babel o
mems voices, and all was blank.
y
After many days OF unconsciousnes
and raging fever reason gradually re
turned and learned the particulars o
my deliverance.
A party of officers had started with
shillaree (or native hunter) to a ira
which had been prepared for the tiger
A goat was tethered on the outskirts o
the jungle, and the sportsmen ha,
started to take up positions in tn
trees near to wait for their game
which the bleat of the goat, in tn
stiffness of the night, would speedil.
have attracted.
!. They were talking of our coming bi
: cycle race as they went along, and cx
) pectcd every moment to meet me ol
my return journey. AS they passed
clump of bushes l came in sight, abou
quarter of a mile in front of them
whirling along in cloud of dus
which hid my terrible pursuer. The,