Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-10-28

and purring in contented sort of way,
like huge cat.
Was I frightened? Not an atom; I
had my bicycle and start of forty
yards, so if could not beat him it
was pity.
He had not seen me yet, and l stood
for another minute admiring the hand
some creature, and then quietly
rmounted-(the tiger was directly on
my right, while the road stretched
straight away in front of me). The
noise L made reused him; he looked
up, and then, after deliberately
stretching himself, came leaping with
long, graceful bounds over the rank
grass and rocks which separated him
from the road. He did not seem bit
angry, but evidently wished to get a
nearer view of such on extraordinary
object.
Forty yards, however, thought was
quite near enough for safety. The
tiger was in the road behind me now;
SO pulled myself together and began
to quicken my pace.
Would he stop disgusted after the
first hundred yards and give up the
chase, or would he stick to it? quite
hoped he would follow me, and already
pictured in my mind the graphic des-
crlption would write home of my BIZ
cycle race with tiger.
Little did L think what a terrible
race it was going to be. I looked be-
hind me. By iove he was "sticking
to it." [ could not Judge the distance;
but at any rate 1 was not farther from
him than when we started. Now for a
squirt. L rode the next half mile at
lively pace, but on again looking round,
found had not gained yard.
The tiger was on my track, moving
with long, swinging trot, and going
quite as quickly as L was.
For the first time L began to feel
anxious, and thought uneasily of the
ten long miles which separated me
from safety.
However, it was no good thinking
now; it was my muscle and "bike"
against the tiger. 1 could only do my
best and trust to Providence.
Now there was no doubt about the
tigers Intentions; his blood was up
and on he came, occasionally giving
vent to roar which made the ground
tremble. Another mile had been ira
versed and the brute was slowly but
surely closing up.
L dashed my pouch to the ground,
hoping it would stop him for few sec
onds; but he kept steadily on and I
felt it was then grim earnest.
/ calculated we must be about seven
miles from camp now, and before 1
could ride another four miles my pur-
suer, [ knew, must reach me. Oh,
the agony of those minutes which
seemed like long hours!
Another mile passed, then another.
[ could him behind me now, pad, pad,
pad, quicker and quicker and quicker,
louder and louder. | turned in my
saddle for moment and saw there
were not twenty yards separating us !
How enormous the brute looked, and
how terriblel His huge tongue hung
out, and the only sound he made was
continual hoarse growl of rage,
while his eyes seemed literally to flash
fire.
1t was like some awful nightmare,
and with n shudder L bent down over
the handles and flew on.
On, on, on, I scorched. the slight
est slip L knew would be fatal; sud
den jolt, screw giving, a pedal break
ing, and should be hurled to instant
death.
My strength would not stand much
more; the prolonged strain had told
upon me, and / felt all would soon be
over. My breath came in thick sobs,
mist gathered before my eyes-I was
stopping; my legs refused to move and
a thousand fiends seemed to be Aitting
about me, holding me back! A weight
like lead was on my chest: I was dying.
Then few moments which seemed a
lifetime, and dthen-crash-with roar
like thunder the tiger was on me and
[ was crushed to the ground.
Then | heard shots fired, babel of
mems voices, and all was blank.
After many days of unconsciousness
and raging fever, reason gradually re-
turned, and 1 learned the particulars
of my deliverance.
A party of officers had started with
a shikaree native hunter) to trap
which had been prepared for the tiger.
They were talking of our coming BIZ
cycle race, as they went along, and ex-
pecting every moment to meet me on
my return journey. As they passed a
clump of bushes [ came in sight. whirl-
ing along in cloud of dust, which
hid my terrible pursuer.
They soon, however, saw my awful
danger. The huge brute, mad with
rage, hurled itself upon me Just as we
reached them.
My friends stood almost petrified
with terror and did not dare to fire;
but the shikaree sprang quickly to
within yard of the tiger, and putting
his rifle almost to the animals ear,
fred twice and blew its brains out, lust