The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-31
struggled away, olutched his lips with
his hand and shook his head.

NAAAAA esAA'o sAAA eAAO pOlSQn D6R1O 20 lOS9
Its power. AT oil events he did not die,
Salad was as fond Of hunting as I
Many time we two slipped away from
camp In tho gray Of early morning.
Once, just before daylight, was out
with my shotgun In thinly wooded
jungle mile from camp upon the
shore Of q small lake, waiting for birds.
1t was just my luck. Because came
prepared for birds, there was not one In
sight, but three beautiful antelope came
down to drink within hundred feet of
US looked at the shotgun In disgust
Then looked again at the antelope It
was exasperating. was determined to
have shot, at any rate, and In the hopo
that l might stun ono Of them or at least
bew1lder him for an instant I whisper
ed to Salad to be ready with his knife
and mako dash tho moment fired
Cautiously I raised the gun to my
shoulder and was pressing the trigger.
when Salad touched mo and Whispered;
wait, sahibl Look therei''
looked. and my shotgun fell. At
slight angle, but little more than half
way between us and the antelope, there
crouched royal Bengal tiger A single
glance was sufficient He was surely
man eater. Evidently he had been ON
the point Of satisfying his hunger with
an antelope when no caught sight Of us
He was within an easy leap Of the deer,
but was deliberately turning away and
facing US The motion startled the deer.
and they bounded off. but the tiger paid
them NO further attention The huge
creature opened his great jaws till his
head seemed nothing but O red, yawn-
ing gullet borderod by long, ragged,
snarl he began to approach US
There was no need Of looking about
for place Of safety. The jungle was
sparsely wooded ut tho best, and the
largest tree wo had passed In coming
from camp would not have borne even
Salads weight 10 feet from the
ground Salad had only his hunting
knife. I nothing but my shotgun
"One of us must go, sahib," Salad
muttered, without taking his eyes from
the tiger. "If we run together, we shall
both go. He will overtake us In mo-
ment Let Allah decide as it is written
in our foreheada Run that way for
your life, sahib will run this way
Be quick, before he comes neareri''
There was no timo for thought 1t
seemed fair proposition, and oven as
he spoke the Hindoo started at the top
OF his speed away. It was useless stand
ing still or following him. and acting
upon his suggestion started in the OBJ
posite direction.
After running n rod or two looked
over my shoulder The tiger had made
a leap and was just landing, already
crouched for another spring. He was
following mel
l will not admit that hoped be
would follow Salad, but did hopo that
he would not choose me- It amounted
to the same thing.
started on for one more desperate
struggle / WIS doomed knew it per
fcctly well. yet while there is life there
is hope, and ran as I never ran be-
fore resolved to go as far as could
and then whirl about and give tho tiger
charge of fine shot full in the face 1t
might put out his eyes There was at
least that possibility to hang a desperate
hope upon. and throwing my gun to my
shoulder turned The tiger WIS not
there! Looking farther back, saw his
tawny hide In the underbrush. Instant
ly it rose He was making leap but
1t was not toward me One thrill of
gratitude shot through my veins, when
my heart stood still with horror There
was one sharp yelp as the huge form
swept through tho air, and crushing the
leaves and branches as it fell landed up
on the prostrato figure of Salad, silently
waiting for the blow
1 stood there pctrifled, the cold per-
SEPARATION dripping from my forehead.
There was not sound from Salad
There was only ono ficrco howl from the
tiger; then all was still
1t was only al instant, but In that III
slant w-o two, my Hindoo servant and
|, stood out before mo in very bold re-
lief had run for my life, knowing
that tho chances lay between US two and
hoping at least that the tiger might not
follow mo He had run. too, knowing
that tho chance lay between us, and be-
cause tho tiger did not follow him he
had como back again and tempted him
called him away from me and given
his life for mine
lie WAS poor bcnightcd heathen
and only an average sample of his kind
He could not help stealing pretty
things He could not stop telling lies
But surely he was n truer, Drawer no.
bier man than |. and if the image of
God cnn be found today in any of his
creatures it would require no worry deep
theologian to decide which Of us two
betrayed it least profancd. Henry Will
lard French In Romance
Tho Straightcst Line.