Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1893-06-02

S IN, TTNu baby tiger or make
W., IN T believe tiger, or
M 4 fTfy1N tiger on the ground
ltSSSSsy S3NA while l was well mp
1g,&-&e-S In tree It was
with m out-aud-out tiger, fine,
large tiger, and as handsome a tiger us
ever wore stripes that could not be
changed In short, it was a royal
Bengal tiger, right in her Jungle lair.
II was not very old, either i'll life at
large or life in India, when ordered to
report at distant point and informed
that detachment of troops, bound
for the same destination, would cross
the broad belt of jungle above the
terai upon q certain day, passing
within ten miles of the place where |
was then stationed.
1t was rare opportunity to see
some of the widest country in India,
and, sending my servants and luggage
by longer and more travelled road,
| mounted my horse at daylight upon
the appointed day and rode out into
the Jungle alone to join the detach-
ment.
All day | wandered about between
the points where | had been told that
the soldiers would pass, and not till
almost until night did the conviction
force itself upon me that they must
have been delayed and that was des-
tined to stay where [ was over night
1t WAS the last contingency for which
had made any preparation. had
never exploited in an Indian jungle,
but recalling boyhood tales of beds
upon the branches of trees "to escape
the fury of the fierce denizens of the
forest | selected an appropriate place,
unsaddled my horse and tethered him,
climbed tree and attempted to make
myself comfortable, but with sorry re-
suits.
1t is astonishing how quickly discom-
fort will dispel the apprehension of
danger Before it had been dark an
hour began to consider the chances of
meeting no matter what as more agree
able than the bed l had selected.
A heavy dew was forming. L was
cold and wet besides being decidedly
tired and sleepy, and recalled with
many longings a cave which had no
tccd not far away. With my saddle
for pillow and my blanket for mat
upon the smooth, dry floor, which was
visible Just inside the mouth, should
be almost as well off as in native bun
gslow.
For an hour more chung to the I'M
comfortable branch and thought of the
tempting cave. Then / grew desperate.
There were no such yelps and howls as
had read of, making night hideous.
That Indian jungle WAS almost as silent
as Il forest at home came to the con-
Clusion that the stories had read were
all nonsense, and dropping from the
branch, l picked up my saddle, made
my way to the cave, arranged the pill
low and mat, threw myself down, and
In no time was sound asleep.
For two or three times in the night
lwoke enough to change my position
and fall asleep again, but when the
mouth of the cave showed faint gray
light, suggesting the approach of
morning, | woke suddenly, all over,
from some sort of dream, and found
myself in a most uncomfortable state
Of apprehension. In vain tried to
convince myself that it was all the
effect of the dream. I pinched myself
and turned and twisted the saddle, but
all to no purpose. Something or
other had given me such thorough
fright that further sleep was impos-
slble. Worse yet, it was still frighten-
ing me, could not imagine that it
was anything at all, yet felt my
courage steadily ebbing and cold
shlyers creeping up and down my
back, in spite of every energy of will l
could exert.
could easily have seen If there had
been anything between me and the
entrance, and as for whatever there
might be beyond me, it was certainly
as still Ms death down there.
Hank! Was it as still as death ?
what was that? l remembered to
have heard it for some time-ever
since | awoke--and wondered why |
had not thought of it. 1t was deep,
soft rumble, for all the world like the
purrlng of gigantic cat. A startling
regularity about it first attracted my
attention, and with q decided chill
came the conviction that something
capable of making that noise was
down IN the darkness beyond me.
=, by that time my imagination was
thoroughly aroused and my nerves 30
completely under its control that WAS
IN excellent state to collapse, and in
deed did collapse, moment later,
When my eyes sought that blackncss
anu suddenly rested upon two great
yellow balls of glowing light down in
'nG pitchy depths of the cave.
Heavens what SILVER ran down
my back. Whatever it was behind
those eyes, it had me at rare adyan-
'aage, for it could doubtless see my
slightest motion against the light at
the entrance, while all that could see
were those two balls of yellow fire.
II was some time before my senses
reached reasonable state where l
could trust them; then to refresh the
horror, | became convinced that the
eyes and the source of that mufiied
thunder were not ten feet away from
Inc.