Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-03-06

lows blood were still to be seen on
the white pebbles in the bed of what,
during the rainy season, became q
foaming torrent. Here Charlie Wal
lace halted, with his rifle at full-cock
in his right hand, and gazed around
him.
Naught stirred. All was silent as
the grave-oppresively silent. Ah /!
what noise was that which he heard
behind him? The footsteps Of his
servant? Impossible! Ali must still
be half mile behind him. As this
thought flashed through his mind he
faced round just in time to see pair
of cleaning eyes glaring at him from
the brushwood. Quick as lightning
he raised his rifle ant fred. A wild
howl answered the report, and huge
tiger rolled down into the gully, where
it lay for a moment as if stunned.
But it quickly recovered itself, and
crouched to spring on its assailant.
Had Wallace wavered for half second
he must have shared the fate of the
luckless runner. But he whipped out
his pistol and discharged it point
blank in the animals face. One of
the slugs entered its eye and pierced
the brain, and the ruthless creature
fell seemingly lifeless at his feet;
then he knew that it must actually
have made it's spring when he fired.
With his second pistol in his hand
he sat down on the brink of the gully
and mopped the moisture from his
dripping brows. Meanwhile he kept
his eye fixed upon his enemy, half ex-
pecting to see it rise and renew the
attack. But there it lay quite mo-
tionless, and was indeed stone dead.
He had ample time to admire the
beauty of his sleek coat before Ali
made his appearance.
"What a marvel!" exclaimed that
worthy, almost breathless with wonder
ard admiration. "Heaven has en-
abled sahceb to shoot the devil!"
s'The question now is, what are we
to do with the devil, as you call him ?"
said his master. "Can We get bull
lock.csr hereabouts?"
eSurely!" replied Ali. eat the
next village--not o mile off-where
every bullock-cart and bullock will be
proudly at the beck of the saheeb who
has destroyed the devil"
"Well, away with you, and fetch
one! One will serve our turn" said
the devil-shooter smiling.
About half an hour later, loud
shouting proclaimed the approach of
the vehicle and half the village. AS
the noisy crowd drew near, one old
man rushed forward, and, grovelling
at the Lieutenant's feet, exclaimed:
"Oh, my Lord, my Lord, hast thou
verify destroyed the devil that de-
voured my brothers son?''
Meanwhile the villagers crowded
round the carcass of their fallen foe,
and kicked and spat upon it to their
hearts content. One fellow pulled
out o tinderbox and struck light,
wherewith he proceeded to SINCE the
animals Hhiskers. But Ali checked
him with threat that if he spoilt the
creatures skin he was likely to share its
fate. Others, instead of venting their
hate on their dead foe, rendered milk
and fruit and wild honey to the tiger
queller, or, rather, to the devil
queller, as they deemed him. And,
sure enough, ere long up came hoary
priest to lay the spirit of the beast,
lest it should haunt the village and
work for more evil than while clothed
with flesh. They drew magic circle
round the carcass, and smeared its
head with dabs of red paint, and pros
trated themselves before it, by way of
soothing the wrath OF its patron god
dess, the misunderstanding Kali. Fin.
ally, they wreathed its neck with wild
flowers, and hoisted it into the cart,
and marched in procession before it
to the music of tomtoms and half
dozen horns. And then, as night
came on, scores OF torchbearers
swelled the throng that marched in
front of the cnrt.
When they were within two miles
distance of The Lieutenant's head
quarters, they were overtaken by o
stoutish gentleman riding powerful
and spirited horse. Refining it in
alongside the cart, where sat the Lieu
tenant alongside the tiger, he asked:
"What's the matter?"
Wallace modestly explained, to the
best of his ability, amid all that din
of tomtoms, horns and human voices.
The horseman looked puzzled for
moment. Then he said: "But you're
not post-runner."
At this moment up rode three other
horsemen. he turned to one of them
and whispered something which Wal
lace failed to catch. He then rode of,
followed by the two other horsemen.
The one to whom he had spoken ac-
companied the procession, chatting to
the amateur post-runner, till the cars
stopped at the door of Wallaces bun
gslow. There he abruptly said: eau
revoir, Lieutenant Wallace, ;" and rode
on.
"What on earth does he mean with
his au revoir?" muttered the tiger
queller as he entered his "diggings." F"
':And how the dickens does he know
my name and grade?" He had failed
to observe the diplomatic art with
which the horseman had pumped him
during their chat.
Scarcely had the tiger-hunter doffed
his red coat, washed off his war-paint,
and donned his ordinary ''togs, when
his boy came in with note, which
ran:
Tho GoYernor-General begs me to invite
you 10 dine with him at my house. Come
Just as you ore. Yours sincerely.
HECTOR CAMPBELL.
Dinner at sharp.
So the frank, plain-spoken horse.