The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-15
TEN FEET FROM A TIGER.

OuS OF . mAu-o0sAtsk V'kVk wo's~ 'hSs'
ed tho place.
1ch incidents are common. A maneater
% up his abode near u town. The ua-
) talk about him nil day long, and
nble for fear Of Elm all night long. until
moves away again. 1t rarely seriously
nrs to them to rid themselves Of him.
! l was going expressly to hunt. their
les wore moro interesting than usual,
in time I even gathered energy enough
valk a half mile through the boiling sun
loo the path the maneater had made in
nightly visits.
came from a dense and extended jun
straight ne a crow flies. for half a mile.
spring, then onward twonty.6ve feet
a clump Of bushes, and twenty five
70 directly under u large branched ties.
Bro Il Disappeared; after drinking. ne
lbtless made his way. Us fancy directed,
|a,d the village.
better position than that tree could not
ke been imagined. and ! at once pro.
led to relieve the town Of its tiger.
he natives held up their hands in hor-
and solsmnly shook their hends. They
70 SO dsmonstrative that even n of my
wants positively refused TO- help me.
b Other, with fear aud trembling, de-
red that he was prepared to die with me,
was his duty, and therefore would do ~
lid him, Tho villagers would not even
nish me with = calf for bait. ] had to
! for him in advance. and then pay them
cad him out and tether him under the
ust before dark Salad and I made our
YES comfortable upon q favorable branch,
ere We could keep . sharp lookout be-
Ben the jungle and the spring. with my
&tol belt and ammunition hanging close
d q light single barrel resting on the
Anch above.
rhe sur was Just dropping when Salad
tcovered that no had forgotten our light
Watching all night for a tiger upon An
ptv stomach is not amusing, and forth
kh l sent him back for it.
The rascal! knew BY the way he started
that he had forgotten 1t on pa pose. and
kt I had seen the last Of him TIL morn
as Wal Of little consequences. however,
cept az company. I settled myself with
! eyes fixed upon that half. mile OF open
hoe between the jungle aud the spring.
The calf did his duty we'll. He began to
blow and CRY. the momel t the sun went
|wn, and kept it ny without iptet mission.
For an hour it was so dark that l could
II see perfectly, even SO far as the spring.
It I knew the tiger would not have passed
|thout disturbing the calf.' Then the
bon rose, white and clear, and ! could sss
|e ~faintest shadow ont upon b open
|nin, direct to the jungle.
Hour after hour I waited, till my eyes
|hed with the watching and my ears
he'd with the constant lowing of the teth-
led calf, but there was not the faintest
Rn of q tiger anywhere. Sleep WAS liter
ly overpoweriEg me. l was ~rnvenonsly
hnpry. and a rmly resolved TO shake salad
thin an inch of HIS life in the morning.
n tongue wal fairly dry with thirst, while
10 spring dubbed away within fifty feet
me.
|Somethinp must be done. made a care
il survey Of every inch of open space with.
range. There WAS not so much AZ a bat
hywhere. Taking the light rifle ! dropped
! the ground and made quickly 70 the
bring.
The water was de%liciously cool and, feel
|o much better, I turned toward my
[Suddenly the calf changed bis tune to
al gurgle. I apranR forward. but.
lat as I reached the dump OF bushes,
short, and my heart literally stood
Eill. Close 1t hand there sounded a deer,
|uffied vibration, like the purring Of q
/ had heard that sound too often not te
now that it meant q tiger. whettinR hi
ppetite for a tempting meal.
He was doubtless creeping upon the calf,
hlch. fortunately, was on the other side oi
1e tree. and when he made the leap, II
ready and quick enough, I could doubt.
SO gain my branch before he would TURF
q mo.
10 SEQ how the land lay ! cautiously
arted the apper branches Of tue bushes
nd LOOKED through the opening. There
as tho calf, pulling away upon tho rops
II he had nearly chokeu himself. but!
II ever q mortal's blood ran cold mine did
that moment. Betveen me and that tres
here crouched the largest Bengal tiger
ave ever seen. He was stretched at full
myth. us n cat stretches when she 10 Gloss
pon a bird. His great FOLLOW cyes shons
ke amber, His mouth was wide open.
he white teeth shone in the moonlight,
nd his tongue. hanging. over them. upon
side. moved up and down in q most In
lnuatipR motion, while his tail swayed
from side to side, ~ he took another
stretch forward, with a noiseless wig
10. bringing his huge body half its lsnRth
earer me.
He was q man-enter and no mistake. Thu
cali Onofou no t0mptatlOu COM
AIRED with the feast that awaited him. He
ad doubtless come to the spring in TIL
rat darkness and been waiting half th'
light for-me! .,.. =
Ny hand shook till tho leaves rustled'
Ie paused for n moment and rose to hi
aunches. The tiger is a timid. cautious
nimal. The intervention Of those buaheI
ad doubtless saved mi for the time, at the
cry moment when he was ready to spring
Now he would again creep fol- ward nsarOl
nd nearer, till hs dislodged me. Their
,as mo- the least possibility of escape. bu
was satisfied that no would not spring un
ii he could see me more plainly.
The slightest motion Oh my part might
syesl me and hurry him ana settle thu
natter In the twinkling Of an eye; bat ys'
o long az there was hat one bullet In tn,
life ON my back ! was determined to maxi
of 1t.
Still holding the branches with one han,
nd keeping my eyes on tho tiger. who di'
lot move again, l worked the rifle from m,
boulder with the other hand and brough
t into position. Al the sound o
he trigger he started. which CAV
no such u fright that Hlnoa
= h-h W.,