Evening star., 1895-10-12

his arm-in a way I could not understand;
then he would point at me. and chuckle
and gurgle like a fiend while the look in
his face came being laugh as
the paint on the surface-and the utter de-
praVity behind it-WoUid permit.
Morning came. No attack my friends
Noon And still no attack. And now my
captors were preparing to give the beleag-
uered whites an exhibition of the way in
which they dealt with the unfortunate.
They were going to burn me alive in full
view of my friends.
This delay-this gain Of time-would
have been of inestimable value to my
friends-if they had not been beyond hope
They were helpless open boat. in
an empty ocean, with the white wings of
the tempest already shifting The sea into
foam! But it would. at least. give them
a little of rest: they would be stronger for
the struggle that must last until-for them
| the earthly end of all things.
1t was well, too. that the little valley
| they had selected for my final scene
the worlds stage should be in full view
| of those for whom l was to die-as we'll
| that my end should be an object lesson
| for their information.
They tied me to the stake. They piled
| the fagots about me. A group OF privi-
| legged ones-lad by the creature l mention
ed a little time ago-began a mad dance
| about me-torchas in their hands. shut
| my lips tightly. l prayed silently. l wait
the ridge! 1t was hurrying-nuryiHS! Some
helated savages. doubtless, unwilling to be
cheated out of the show set for their
| friends in the valley The dust column
climbed the ridge. 1t reached the summit.
And-WaS going mad?-o" was here a line
| of Ealloping blue in the dust? The soldiers
| the soldiers We're coming. The wagon
| train was SaVed-SdVed! And was so glad
l almost forgot the .ieep personal interest
l had in the situation But the soldiers
We're charging straight for me-and a tall
horseman who Wore no uniform was riding
| madly well in advance of them
The estimable savage 10 whom / have re-
ferred sprang forward, torch in hand, to
| fire the wood piled about me. And the
horseman rose IN his stirrups. raised bis
rifle to his shoulders, fired, and the at,en-
tive individual went down like a log. shot
| straight through the brain.
A rifle was aimed at me-fired--and the
bullet went rods w:de of its mark The
| horseman had :isen in his stirrups again.
| He had fired mis- own rifle a second time,
and my intending assassin had a hole
through his heart.
The horseman saved me, in that running
| fight. half-dozsn times He covered HIM
self with glory proved himself a hero, and
| then went down. killed 10y skulsing loi-
| terer, when the battle was over and the foe,
| with here and there an exception, either
! dead or in flight.
In fiction 1 suppose Tige Black would
| have skipped out to the aid Of the savages.
| And the Indian whose life | had saved, six
years before. would have brought the sol
| diers to save me. But this is story of
| the Indian as he was and is-not as we
| might idly say he ought to be. Real life
plays havoc with the theories of romance.
When L looked into the dead face of the
savage who had persistently tried to burn
| me, l knew him-and understood the ges-
| lures in which he had motioned to head
| and leg and arm. He was the ungrateful
brute to whom l had given life-when cir
| cumstances had dictated death.
| My son-Mllie's and mne-is as mild
hammered a fellow as you have ever known
| But. when he is asked what his second
name is. what the T stands for, his eyes
| flush and his hands clench He has heard
| me tell so often, the story of the man who
| really rode to the fort-the man who rode
| so far in advance of the rescue line as to
| save another and make himself a martyr
| that his proudest moment is when he an
| swers, to the mystification of some stranger
| MY second name is Tiger
CThe endo