Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-07-25

him alive till the poison began to lose
/ it's power. At all events he did not
die.
| Salad was as fond of hunting as
| Many a time We slipped away from
camp in the gray of early morning
Once, just before daylight, 1 was out
with my shotgun in a thinly-wooded
jungle, mile from camp, upon the
shore of a small lake, waiting fol
birds.
1t was just my luck! Because came
prepared for birds, there was not one
in sight, but three beautiful antelopes
came down to drink, within a hundred
| feet of us. l looked at the shotgun in
| disgust; then looked again at the ante
| lOpes. 1t was eXasperating. | was de-
| termined to have a shot, at any rate,
and, in the hope that l might stun one
| of them or at least bewilder him for
an instant, I whispered to Salad to be
| ready with his knife and make a dash
the moment fired.
Cautiously | raised the gun to my
| shoulder and was pressing the trigger,
when Salad touched ME and wills
| pered: ''EVaft, sahib! Look there!'
L looked and my shotgun fell. At a
slight angle, but little more than half
| way between us and the antelopes,
there crouched a 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 he
caught sight of us. He was within
an easy leap of the antelope, but was
deliberately turning away and facing
us. The motion started the deer and
they bounded off, but the tiger paid no
further attention. The huge creature
opened his great jaws till his head
seemed nothing but red, yawning
gullet bordered by long, ragged,
glistening teeth, and, with a savage
snarl, he began to approach us.
There was no need of looking about
for a place of safety. The jungle was
sparsely wooded at the best, and the
largest tree we had passed in coming
from camp would not have borne even
Salads weight ten feet from the
ground. Salad had only his hunting
knife, l nothing but my shotgun
zone of us must go, sahib,' Salad
muttered, without taking his eyes from
the tiger. eff we run together, we
shall both go. He will overtake us in
a moment. Let Allah decide as it is
written in our foreheads. Run that
| this way. Be quick! before he comes
nearern
There was no time for thought. 1t
seemed a fair proposition, and even as
he spoke the Hindoo started at the top
of his speed away. 1t was useless
standing still or following him, and
| acting upon his suggestion l started in
the opposite direction.
After running a rod or two, ] looked
over my shoulder. The tiger had made
leap and was just landing, already
crouched for another spring. He was
, following me!
L will not admit that 1 hoped he
would follow Salad, but did hope that
he would not choose me. 1t amounted
to the same thing.
L started in for one more desperate
! struggle. | was doomed. | knew it
perfectly well; yet while there is life,
! there is hope, and / ran as | never ran
before. L resolved to go as far as l
could, and then whirl around and give
the 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, l
| turned. The tiger was not there!
Looking father back l saw his tawny
hide in the underbrush. Instantly it
rose. He was making a leap, but it
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 the air and,
crushing the leaves and branches as it
fell, landed upon the PROSTATE figure
of Salad, silently waiting for the blow.
/ stood there petrified, the cold per-
SEPARATION dripping from my forehead.
There was not sound from Salad
There was only one fierce howl from
the tiger. Then all was still.
| 1t was only an instant, but in that
/ instant we two, my Hindoo servant
and 1, stood out before me in very
/ bold relief. l had run for my life,
! knowing that the chances lay between
us two, and hoping at least, that the
/ tiger might not follow me. He had
run, too, knowing that the chance lay
between us, and because the tiger did
not follow him he had come back
again and tempted him, called him
away from me and given his life Tor
mine.
i He was a poor benighted heather,
/ and only an average sample of his
Kind. He could not help stealing
pretty things. He could not help tell
ing lies. But surely he was a truer,
Drawer, nobler man than 1, and if the
| image of God can be found, today, in
any of his creatures, it would require
! no very deep theologian to decide
which of us two betrayed it, least
acknowledgements.