The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-09-29

ing purr, much resembling, though
greatly louder than, that of domes-
tic cat rudely aroused from its nap.
The tigers were up at last, and stretch
ing themselves. Dodging behind my
tree, with rifle ready, waited, a little
nervously, for the next move. The
| beaters came steadily on, with ever
increasing noise and accelerated fire,
apparently covering every inch of the
ground.
Soon l heard the understandable,
! vibrating screeches, half snarl, half
roar. with which full grown tiger and
tigress leaped over the fringe of outly-
ing bushes and loped away along the
edge of the 6aree.
They were no more than sixty feet
from HE and l made sure of the one
nearest, as | threw up my rifle and
touched the trigger. But the hammer
fell softly ON damaged cartridge !;
and when hastily replaced it by an
other, and fired, scored clean miss !!
Too late now for third trial.
Mark right - shouted, and heard
next moment the crack of Frank Matt
land s rifle, followed by a scream from
one of the flying brutes.
Mark right!' 81 outed Frank.
Then Captain Smythe fired, and, al
most blending with the report of his
gun, came his sharp cry for help.
The captain was posted two hun
bred yards from me, but only one hun
dred from Frank. So the boy reload
ing as he ran, sped to the rescue alone.
He was not moment too soon. The
tiger, crunching Smythe's left arm,
stood raging over his senseless body.
AS the boy drew nearer the monster
shook his victim as a terrier shakes a
rat, and Frank thought he could hear
the bones crack. But tiger and man
lay directly across his path, and he
dared not shoot for fear of hitting
Smythe.
At any moment the brute might
change his grip to Smythe's throat.
Knowing this, Frank did the best
thing possible under the circum
stances. When within thirty yards
he yelled at the top of his voice. The
tiger, seeing a moving foe, left the
PROSTATE body and charged directly
upon young Maitland.
Few experienced hunters could have
faced such charge without quailing,
but Frank, on seeing the success of
his ruse, stood stock-still, cool as if on
parade. AS the tiger alighted within
twelve feet of him, after its second
bound, he fired right into its open
mouth.
The express bullet, driven by eight
drachms of powder, traversed the
whole length of the tigers carcass
With quivering limbs and bristling
hair the brute sank down stone-dead
in the act of crouching for final
spring.
AS ran toward the scene, 1 passed
the lifeless body of the tigress. The
boy had achieved the amazing feat
of killing two tigers by two successive
shots, and all within the space of one
minute.
Fortunately the assistant surgeon
of our regiment happened to be the
man stationed next to Smytha's right.
On examination he found that, beyond
the crushed and lacerated arm, Smythe
was not seriously injured.
After some brandy had been forced
between his lips he recovered con-
seriousness, looked around in a dazed
way and asked whats up, am l
hurt %
Then he learned who had saved
heart. Holding out his uninjured
treated you badly"
Don't say another word, captain,
said Frank, kneeling beside him.
So that is how they came to speak
ing terms again, and afterward they
were the best of friends.
GILES UNDERWOOD.