The broad ax., 1898-02-19

me felt no pain from teeth or cfaWa
Neither did !. after once the brute had
seized me. feel any keen sense of fear,
although perfectly conscious Of all thai
was going ON and Of what seemed the
certainty that should be immediate
" killed. Perhaps the best expression
OF my condition while I was In the
tigers power would be to say that !
was in hEpnotie state, for can COM
pare my sensation with nothing else.
The tiger ran perhaps fifty yards.
then stopped. laid me down and
crouched. watching me. Presently be
picked me Up again and started on
through the jungle, this time walking,
bearing me along with my legs drag
g1ng upon the ground. Coming TO an
open space he laid me down, and, back
Ing away for distance OF two or three
yards. lay crouched, watching me in
tentiy, after the manner Of q cat that
plays with a mouse.
From the position in which lay
could look straight into his yellow eyes
and could see the curling in and out OF
the tip OF the supple tail. Then as with
every second ! expected the tiger to
leap upon me and tear me, there crash
ed In the jungle's stiffness the loud re-
port OF a gun, close at hand. saw the
tiger leap to his feet. whirl toward the
sound, and he roared once as he rear
ed himself almost upright on his hind
legs; then fell over on his side struE-
Cling.
1T was from the old firelock that I
mad set In order that morning-the
East Indian company musket OF Dassa
Balhua that the shot had come which
saved my life. The shikari had found
the path the tiger was accustomed to
take In going from his den to the near
est water course to drink. In a thick
leaved tree overlooking this path he
had built platform. and from this he
had watched daily for a chance to shoot
At the brute. Waiting here this day
ne saw the tiger come into view from
an unexpected quarter dragging me
along by the shoulder. When he saw
me tiger drop me in the open space and
lay himself down at a little distance
away, the shikari fired at him, aiming
1t the head, for he knew that IL not
killed the first act Of the brute would
be to kill me. The tiger, struck In the |
IA by the heavy bullet, died almost in |
ais tracks.
After the shot was fired lay still, |
lot feeling sure that the tiger was real |
y done for, until saw DAssa Balhua |
,ome toward me from the tree. When
lifted my head the shilxari was
startled for he had thought that I was
lead. But he came to me and lifted |
ne by the shoulders so that by turn
ng my head could see the tiger lying
stretched on his side.
He can trouble you no more. sab
b. said the shikari The tiger Is
lead
The shikari opened my jacket and
my wounds, and then went
lown to the road to intercept my ser
ants. By the time he came back with
hem my wounds were getting painful.
While one Of the servants rode to the
Iearest bungalow for men and litter,
lay watching the shikari skin the
Iger. 1t was a young animal, full
rown, with a glossy, beautifully
larked skin. and terrible teeth and
laws. With the skin and the govern
lent bounty and the hundred rupees
nat gave him. Dassa Balhua had no
sason to complain Of his days fortune.
was taken out OF the jungle that
light. and to my home the next day. l
ad a bad shoulder. with fever, that
ept me laid up for. three or four weeks
nd did not regain the full use OF my
ght arm for years. But think
Of on we'll"