Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-11
ulss DllllaTd's Pet.

won't have my hearth he added
in lower tone. With the eyes Of
the whole party upon her, she could
only laugh and answer:
Bring me a baby tiger, Lieut.
Nugent. They say they're as tame
and pretty as kittens, and l would
like so unique pet.'
unique, growled old Col. Price !;
unique! And some day your pretty
kitten will make meal of you, and
your friends will have to put the kit
ten in the coffin to be sure of inter-
ring you. Umph"
First catch your hare, you
know put in third fiannel-shirte2,
top-booted individual, looking to the
loading Of his rifle. "It isn't as easy
as picking gooseberries, capturing a
tiger cub. You are most likely to be
gooseberry yourself, or with the
berry added later when the mother
gets through paying her delicate at
tentions to your carcass"
''Oh, well il you are afraid, lieu
tenant" pouted Miss Willard, turn
ing her head away from the handsome
eyes fixed upon her. The hot blood
rose to the young mans cheek and
his look of passionate admiration
changed to one Of pride and bright
ened to Indignation. 'eYou shall
have the kitten, Miss Millard," he
said, quietly, '1f there is one to be
found" and joined the party setting
out for the jungle in search of big
game.
How could you be so foolish, I'm
ogene p said Mrs. Price, lying back
lazily in her hammock, shielded from
the glare Of the brazen Indian sky by
a giant jujube tree, which also ex-
tended the shelter of it's leaves to I'M
ogene in her wicker chair. Leonard
Nugent is just the boy to risk his
life to crafty your caprice"
''Oh, no, he isn't, cousin Harriet;
he's too matter of fact, and thinks
too much of himself to endanger even
his comfort for me or any other wo-
man." answered the girl, carelessly
stripping a long blade of grass be-
tween her white fingers.
Now, that is where you are mis-
taken, Imogene. Under Leonard's
quiet, self-contained manner lie cour-
age and devotion that would put to
shame those pink and white officers
of the Fifteenth and Twenty-second
that flutter about you"
well, / am too sleepy to argue it
out with you, returned Imogene, clos
ing her blue eyes with provoking
droop Of her pretty mouth.
Z" Yes, it is female, sahib, and il
1 mistake not she has cubs, young
ones. But to go in search of them
along the nullah whence she came
would be to run into the very jaws OF
death, for the male, missing her, will
follow from the lair"
Its all nonsense, anyhow, Nj
gent" said the Colonel, gruffiy, ito
risk your life for woman's within,
and ten to one Imogene will have for
gotten all about the thing before we
even get home"
No matter; am going to trace
the way the tigress took to the
drinking place. and secure the cub if
/ can. Will you come with me? or,
il you prefer going on, Mohammed
Din here will be sufficient"
''Of course we are going with you
if you persist" returned Franklin,
the third man, and the Colonel,
struggling his shoulders, left the
coolies to carry home the tigress
which ne had just shot, and plunged
deeper :nto the jungle after Nugent
and the old tiger hunter, who with
Franklin, were beating down the long
grass before them.
1--WE :,1st be near the place,
sahib," whispered Mahommed Din
after several hours slow march along
the banks Of the little nullah, now
dry, but covered with a wilderness Of
vegetation that tore at their gar
ments, scratched their skin. and
brought many muttered blessings
from the Colonel. ~ have
found I. easy 20 trail her
to this point, but here she
must have turned" He bent to
examine the bowed bush before him,
and as he did so long body like a
fash of yellow light launched itself
through the air, only clearing his ma
ked back by few inches. 1t was
the male, furious presumably at the
absence Of it's mate and at the crying
of it's cubs, and, missing the native,
flung itself upon Nugent, who, sur
prised at the suddenness of the at
tack, was borne backward and to the |
earth with the tawny shape stretched
at full length upon him and feeling
with its gaping mouth for his throat.
A groan of horror broke from his
friends, and the Colonel, throwing
down his rifle, ran beside the two
forms. But, though his right arm
was pinned beneath by his own
weight and that of the tiger, Nugent |
to draw his revolver from
his belt, and as the animal seized his
arm in its mouth, pulled tue trigger,
and the shot went ploughing its way
into the big cats brain. Nugent |
rose, dizzy and sick, when his friends |
had pulled the tigers body off him,
and it was found that his right arm
was broken, while the. left was torn
by the teeth that had closed upon it |
just as the animal died.
But the young man did not forget |
what had brought him hither, and at
his bidding Mohammed Din began to
search the ground for some signs OF
the lair where the cubs were hid |