The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1894-10-18
with it's gaping mouth for his throat.

| 1rlends, and the Colonel, throwing
down his rife, ran beside the two
forms. But, though his right arm
was pinned beneath by his own
weight and that of the tiger, Nugent
managed to draw his revolver from
his belt, and as the animal seized his
arm in its mouth, pulled the trigger,
and the shot went ploughing it's 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
den. Freed now from the fears
of the parents, the Colonel and
Franklin joined in the hunt, while
Nugent pursued the trail along the
nullah to find, if possible, the water
he was beginning to crave. All at
once he ran.into mass of ruins where
an ancient tenn pie had once stood
when this wilderness was once peo-
pied plain, and, seating himself upon
the fallen Intel of door, rested for
moment and as he did so there came
creeping about his feet two pretty
yellow striped kittens, rubbing
themselves against his boots, and
purring aloud. But no domes-
ticated pussy cat these, knowing
nothing of cream, and fireside, but
real children of the jungle with flame
in their veins and eyes. The other
hunters came running at Nugent's
call, and Mohammed Din begging one
of the cubs, it was given him to sell
to the English agent of menagerie,
while the other was tied and placed
in basket to be conferred on the
young lady rash enough to covet
him.
"It is WELL" said Mohammed Din,
looking about him, d" that we killed
the old tigress first, or we would have
that on our track than which fire is
no worse. But it may be that we
have found the cubs of another pair,
so let us haste.'
ooh, the darling!" cried Miss I'M
ogene, as Nugent put the cub into
her arms, and stroking the yellow
body which flashed itself about and
seized her hand in it's mouth, but the
teeth were yet only white pearls, and
the claws only cunning pretense
of such, and so Miss Millard laughed
and hugged her pet. But you are
wounded" " she said, looking at her
lover with her soft eyes pitiful with
sympathy and her lips quivering as
she gently touched the impromtu
bandapes on his arm. AS the Colonel
broke out with the story Nugent
watched her face flush and pale alter
nately with admiration and terror
for him, his soul was lifted up above
the pain that he was suffering and
which made the surgeon, Whitelaw,
send him early to bed, whence he
went to dream of his sweetheart.
sit shall sleep in my room, where
can feed it during the night if it is
hungry" said Imogene, tucking her
kitten" under her arm, and bal
ancing a saucer of milk in the other
hand. Mrs, Price followed her with
her eyes family uneasy. Hadn't
YOU better leave it with the servants,
Imogene, for few nights at least,
until it gets accustomed to you
she demonstrated, but the girl shook
her wilful head. "No, we are going
to be friends from the first, aren
we, Kitty ?" she answered, speaking
to the soft, tawny ball nesting 10
her, and proceeding to make the
little animal comfortable in box
lined with cotton, taking at the same
time precaution to secure 1t by plac-
ing top of Stats across the bed.
How long the girl slept she did not
know, but she opened her eyes Just
in time to see large object obscure
the light which the full moon was
mourning in at her window, which had
been left open to allow what iaintai
might be stirring to enter Inc heSo
moment this object advanced 10
long bulk, lighted by pair OF gleam-
ing orbs that burned like live coais IN
the semi-gloom, and this shape Oh
dread leaped agilely into the room
Imogene held her breath, with SICK
ening sense of physical terror on her,
watching with fascinated, oiluoeu
ewes the form pacing the apartment
with long, restless steps. once ~
stopped and snufred at the box, box where here
in the cub lay, and the llttle crea-
ture Weakening, hailed it with welcom-
Then began struggle on the part
of the mother and the coniineo c'o
for the latter's liberty, but the poAi
stout one, and weighted down by .hs
cover at which the tlgress cDuid qua
only claw frantically, not lllt' hei1 1
firm. and the watcher from the peu
sbivered as she saw the uigress, grow
ing more and more furious as ssh she was was
baffled, swing her long tail from siae
TO side. and, turning her glowing