Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-05-27

of the Irishman could see his eyes open
and shut at long intervals, and his
breast palpitated with the rapidity of
that of bird caught in snare. The
tigress watched him in an indolent
manner, like cat with mouse. And
like the cat, now and again she let go
her prey, she relapsed into posture
of negligence, of feigned inattention,
of sommolent grace.
The Irishman, with rife ready, dared
not fire. A revulsion of fury, of pity,
for a moment rendered his hand I'M
sure.
Two awful minutes passed. Then
slowly, slowly, Chandranahour moved.
He stretched out his hands and raised
himself on his elbows. The moonlight
irradiated his face distorted by speech
less terror the contact with death had
stiffened his mouth, and SLED his widely
distended pupils with stupor. He
turned his head toward the tigress.
She seemed to be looking vaguely else
where, sleepily Indifferent to the pres
ence of her prey. Then Chandranahour
began to draw himself along and sue
ceeded in gaining two yards of dis
lance.
MacCarthy, seeing the livid face of
the doomed man nearing him, took aim
with his rife. Unluckily movement
of Chandrenahour rendered all inter
vention impossible at the moment; for
his head came into the line of sight.
"Curse it all !" murmured James.
However, encouraged by the contin-
Ted Indifference of the man-eater, the
Hindu began to drag himself along
more quickly. A desperate hope lit
up his eyes, but only to die the next
moment; he heard the beast move
Suddenly she rose and made a bound.
The man, as in q trance, let himself fall
to the ground, between the great paws,
face to face to the glistening teeth, the
terrible eyes.
''5he is playing" murmured Djouna,
who had gone close to MacCarthy.
eyes, returned the other, "the ac-
cursed brute is amusing herself" His
soul seemed plunged in darkness. He
saw looming in a luGubrious apotheosis
the beast who in our own era still dom
mates ancient India; who is not only
the devourer of man, but who dares to
amuse herself with him as though he
were merely a feeble animal.
In the intensity of the moment, he
realized that by means of certain
subtly displaced forces, by little more
ruse joined to the terrifying swiftness
and the alert muscularity of tigers, by
the merest power of association, the
reign of the feline would have been
possible. At that moment there rose
in him q desperate thirst for ven
geaQce, overmastering desire to con-
quer the man-eater without killing her,
to torment her and insult her, to make
her feel the supremacy of the being
that for six years she had made her
prey: ''Be calm !" He forced his heart
to beat more normally, and anger no
longer clouded his eyes. Meanwhile
the tiger, with a purring sound, and
with light, nimble movements, turned
Chandranahour over on the ground
and reveled ill the Joy of domination
and of power, The poor man, hUddled
together, seemed like some poor infirm
herbivore, thin, slight and defenseless
against the queen of the jungle and
the forest. She, blasee, supple, ele-
CANT. awful SYNOD of the struggle for
existence, soon recommended her ter
rible play, recoiled without haste, in
tremor of anticipation, her movements
impelled by the contempt of the strong
for the weak.
When she was two yards distant she
remained motionless, and her amber
eyes closed slowly. She was che ex-
preston of perfect certitude; she
already tasted the charm Of this living
repast that she was resolved to make
very soon AS she crouched there, the
sinister megniicence of triumphant
muscle. The victim had not relin-
pushed all hope, The instinct to live
beat invincibly in him, and dominated
the conviction that all effort was
futile. After moment ofuncertainty.
he raised himself and recommended
his crawling fight exactly as he had
done before, that effort of agony,
terror and feeble energy. MacCarthy,
this time, was in full possession of all
his faculties He allowed Chandranf.-
hours head to pass the line of vision,
and made his choice between the
prudence of firing straight to the heart
and his eager desire to punish the
brute. The report rang out. in the
cloud of smoke James saw Chan
dranahour's silhouet raise itself rapidly
and the bowling tigress with a crushed
paw lifted in moment OF surprised
stupor.
"Courage!' shouted the Irishman, MS
he leaped over the sheltering block.
Chandranahour threw himself forward
the tigress made short, rapid bound
She had not time to reconnmence. A
second shot rendered another paw use
less. Overcome, powerless, with re-
doubled howls and cleaning jaws she
lay there mere symbol of force.
Chandrsnahour, sheltered behind his
protector, had, in excess of JOY, lost
the use of his muscles. In dazed
condition he leaned against the stone
by Djouna. Mccarthy
seized his second rifle from the hand
of Bavadiee and took three steps to-
ward the tigress
She tried to raise herself, or at least
to crawl toward the European; she
stretched forward her monstrous head,
her devouring Jaws IN which so much hui
man flesh had beenmaeersted, 70 much
existence snnihilated. She fell back
and James contemplated her
with n cruel, revengeful satisfaction;
it seemed to him that she now under
stood the power of man, that hence
forth she would no longer dare lear
lessly to seize her prey in the village;
that at least she would Kill hastily, APP
prehensiyely, as one kills too dan
gerous enemy.
"aahib, " asked Bayadico, will you
not kill herr