Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1898-12-08

she prepared 10 spring on inc couple
before her.
The second mate, on beholding this
horrible apparition, ran, pale and
trembling, down into the cabin; the
captains daughter shrieked and
shrank closely to the side of Brand.
run, Louise, run into the cabinl"
cried the young man clear, steady
voice.
eyes, if you come with mel" gasped
the girl
"That would insure the fate of both
of us, said Brand. 81 am goirg to
save you though 1 have to give up my
own lifep'
He sprang between Louise and the
tigress, still requesting his fair COM
panion to run into the cabin.
Instead of doing so she hurried to
his side. His glance fell on hand
spike lying on it's end against the rail.
He picked it up and, just as the beast
was about leaping upon him. with ex.
tended claws and open mouth. he
bounded forward and drove the i'm
plement down the throat of the savage
creature.
In its efforts to dislodge the hand
spike from its mouth the tigress, jerk
ing the wooden bar out of the young
sailors hand, rolled over on its side.
Brand, taking advantage of this,
seized Louisa in his arms and darted
to the cabin, when, to his dismay, he
perceived that the door of the COM
panionway was shut and fastened, the
second mate having, in his fright, Sc.
cured it,
Thus kept from entering, the first
officer, vainly looking around him for
some weapon, carried the girl in his
powerful arms to the forecastle.
But he now heard the tigress only a
few feet behind him and knew that she
would be upon him if he paused ere
he should pass through the narrow
opening of the scuttle.
He therefore kept on, leaping on
the knighthead, and then getting over
the rail into the head, to the left OF
the starboard anchor.
On reaching the windlass the IT,
gress had been delayed little by the
lib downhaul and the cable, which
were in its way. Soon, however, it
succeeded in passing these impedi-
ments, when it sprang upon the cat
head, and thence upon the anchor
stock, from which it could now see
the lovers, crouching in the head.
With piercing yell, followed by
deep growl, it prepared to spring upon
the two fugitives.
"We are lost We are lostl"
screamed Louisa, as her shrinking
gaze encountered the glare of those
terrible eyeballs not three feet dis
tant.
Determined to protect her if pos
sible with his own body, Brand
stopped over in bent position, thus
screening her from the sight of the
tigress. VAS about maxim,
just as the ap its fore feet slipped
its t6N through the ring by which the
anchor hung from the cathead.
1t made frantic efforts to disengage
itself, and Brand perceived that in a
few seconds 1t would succeed in
doing SO.
A sudden thought went like light
ming through his brain.
Drawing Louisa up from the head
to the bow, he sprang in board and,
as quick as fash, let go the anchor.
He was just in time, for the savage
beast now was about freeing herself
from the ring.
With a sound like rumbling thun-
der the iron links of the cable spun
round the windlass. Then there was
a tremendous splash, followed by a
gurgling yell, as the tigress, fast to
the huge anchor, was drawn beneath
the surface, to be carried down, down
with the heavy weight to the bottom
of the sea.
"Savedl savedl Thank Godl" cried
Louisa, as she fell, half fainting, on
the breast of her brave lover.
At the same moment the captain,
gun in hand, followed by the second
mate, who, however, kept far in the
rear, came rushing forward.
From the forecastle the crew also
came up, walked from their sleep both
by the noise which had been made
and by the cries of the man who had
been on the watch and had entered
the forecastle on first seeing the tt
gress.
The captain, who had retired to his
berth, had also been walked by the
yells # the beast, to find his second
mate covering in a corner of the
cabin.
After Louisa had described the good
conduct of lover she turned her eyes,
flashing with scorn, upon the second
officer.
"What of Mr.. Brands lack of nerve
now?" she inquired
The coward sank abashed before
her, making no reply.
AS to the captain, he embraced
Brand, saying in hearty voice.
"God bless you, my lad, and I
hope you'll forgive me for the mistake
I made. L now understand that the
very courage that has made you face
a full-grown tigress in defense of my
child was what rendered you unwill-
ing to inhict needless pain on a help