Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-02-13
fell asleep, Baloo, who had had q long

from me, / could hear them tapping
and splashing the water.
ut was still dark-very dark, SO dark
that their forms failed to outline
against the dense mass which sur
rounded the water. This was contin-
gency l had not taken into account.
They were there, but it was so Internal
ly dark l could not shoot with any
certainty of not planting my bullets In
the mud banks opposite. Just In the
center of the pool the twinkling stars
were reflected, and in desperation de.
termined to tnka one as mark, and
when it was darkened by some object
to blaze away. / soon got my chance
and emptied my express not into tho
star, but into some dark object which
had come between it and me.
For few moments pandcmonium
reigned in that bit Of Jungle. One of the
tigers was hit, and hit hard, iudg-
ing from the fiendish row it was kick
ing up Tempted my spare rifle into the
noise, that was all / had to tlre at, but
with what success l could not tell, for
the first shot had stirred up as much
row as two tigers are capable of maxi
ing.
Presently there was a lull in the
conversation, and concluded that they
had made off. 1t was really too much
to expect that had bagged them both,
and that they were both dead.
"There was nothing for it but to stick
to the platform till daylight, which
did, putting in the time asleep. l was
awakened Ivy Baloo at the first sign Of
day. Feeling very cold and numb, I
scrambled down from my nights rest
ing-place, and proceeding to reconnoiter
very carefully, must confess, for did
not relish stumbling over wounded
tiger SO early in the day.
1--WE found tracks on the other side Of
the pool and plenty of blood tracks,
showing that one of them at least was
severely wounded. ! followed UP the
tracks for short distance, but seeing
that we were likely to have a pretty
long tramp of 1t, called halt and sat
down TO eat the lunch l had brought
with me the night before.
washed down by n whisky and soda,
and the inevitable cigar going briskly, l
felt quite equal to the task ahead Of
me-a task in hunting, perhaps the
most dangerous in the world the fol-
lowing up of a wounded tiger on foot in
broken country.
"a long tramp of about three miles,
sometimes losing the trail, having to
quarter back and forth to pick it up
again, and sometimes pressing forward
in hot haste where il was easy picking
up the marks brough. me to deep, dry
ravine. ! felt that we were not far
from our game in this place, and
Baloo's eyes sparkled in anticipation as
he whispered, in eager tones: Near,
sir; very near
1--WE were going steadily along the ra-
vine bed when Baloo suddenly caught
me by the arm and craned his head in
listening attitude. We could hear some
thing moving in the jungle to the right
of the ravine, just beyond where
smaller ravine cut into the one we were
in. Almost at our very feet l saw the
pugs of the tigers in the soft banks,
where they had taken TO the jungle.
Bidding Baloo keep close with the
second gun, started up the second ra-
vine. 1t was more like path cut in the
deep clay banks by the rains. AS
stood in it it was about shoulder high,
and not more than three feet wide.
When had reached Il point just oppo.
site to the place | conceived the tigers
to be, determined to crawl up the
bank, through the almost impenetrable
Jungle underground on its top. Grasp
ing small creeper, pulled my body
up so that | could force passage
through the underground with my
hands. AS I reached over the little
mound-like structure of the bank, my
hand touched something wet and
sticky. drew it bacll--it was blood.
"Thcn there rose up before my eyes,
not three feet from me, the most hid
eous sight l ever saw In my life-a
veins, and transfixed me with horror
n tiger, with the lower jaw shot away,
glared at me, with its baleful eyes burn
ing into my very marrow.
"How long we stood thus facing each
other do not know; itseemed an eter-
nifty. / saw he was about to spring,
and fired my express at him point
blank from my side, without waiting
TO take aim.
''There was the screaming rush of a
giant body, the flash of rifle SO close
that it scorched my cheek, and found
myself fiat on my back in the ravine,
stunned and almost senseless. Baloo
was down, too, but could see that he
was unhurt. He was pointing to the
other bank, and knew that the tiger
had gone clean over when he charged
me.
Beyond being little stunned by my
fall, was quite uninjured, but felt
sure that the tiger had gotten enough
to settle him this time. Baloo had seen
him rise up, and had fired the spare
rifle into him just as he charged.
Cautiously enough this time
worked my way up the opposite bank
and through the jungle, which was less
thick on this side. Not 20 yards from
where we started Mr.. Stripes up, we
found him lying with broken back.
and soon had his skin on the homeward
journey.
ut must have been the mate we
heard in the first place, just little
apart from the other. Be that as 1t
may, 1 never saw him again.
"Yes, it was close shave-the ravine
saved me. /.
"Have another peg."-Detroit Free
Press.
Those whose minds feed upon
riches reccde in general from real hap
piness in proportion as their stores in.