The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-18
ltnnether from sight. blowing bubbles

altogether from sight, blowing bubbles
for a time like the poor Clementlne.
The third event am about to record
occurred to the shikari with whom the
reader has already been made acquainted.
This man was bit of contortioIisr,
He explained that to me by saying tnaU
in his early childhood he had been intend
ed for the noble profession of jugglery,
and had gone through it's elementary
principles He took to shtkar eventually,
ia 1t was more congeniel to his taste
Besides this fact, III will be necessary for
the sake OF my story to mention a certain
popularity of tigers. 1t is admitted by
most experts, among others by. profes-
sional tiger-tam ers, that this ferOc1ous
beast is at heart an arraut coward, and
seldom dares, unless rendered desperate,
to attack strange and unknown animal,
especially il 1t appears TO be large.
Our friend the shikari, when not actual
ly engaged in hunting, would often go
for long strolls in the fields just to Keep
himself in trim. One day he happened
to wander out farther than usual; the
country was rather open, with an occas-
ional tree here and there; it was also I'M
dulating, SO that as he walked along he
would sometimes disappear from sight be-
low a ridge, and then appear again on the
next. On this eventful day, just as ne
reached the top of mound, what was
his dismay to see tiger right ahead OF
him, and not more than five or SIX nun
dred yards away Before he could hide
himself below the mound the tiger had
caught sight of him, and began to bound
along, to wards him at topSspeed. Having
no means of defence, there was nothing
for him to do but to start race towards
the nearest tree. The tiger, however, was
by far the better runner OF the two, ana
was visibly gaining on his comp1Jltor.
The shikari realized that long before ne
could reach the goal, the tiger would be
upon him. What was he to do? In sheer
desperation he resolved upon desperate
scheme as his last and only resource.
Just as he disappeared from the tiger
sight for an instant over ridge, he halt
ed, stretched out his legs at right angles,
curled down his head between his legs,
so as to look at the rear, and EXTENDED
his arms upwards far and wide In fan.
tastic manner. like the sails of q wind
mill. The tiger hove in sight in few
seconds. At that instant the face of this
object assumed most hideous gr1mace;
"A prolonged, unearthly yell was heard
such as had never before pierced the
tvmpanum of a tiger, and the sails OF the
wind mill began to revolye backward and
forwards as if sudden whIrlwlnd had
burst upon the scene. Inc tiger recolled
what was this? There stood ferocious,
star shaped monster, gigantic against the
sky. Its hideous head was situated in the
most unprecedented manner, in the very
centre of its body-nay, it's vicelike jaws,
between which those fendish roars were
issuing, were actually placed above its
two fiery eyes Its limbs were furlously
elamoring for action against him. And
the man whom she had been chasing.
where was he? Had he been already de-
youred by this terrible beast?
AT this thought the tiger wavered, then
turned and fed. If his dinner had Gal
ready been eaten up, then what was the
use of engaging in an Improbable and
doubtful fight with this savage mons
At that instant a parting yell, which
came rolling along like thunder, put 6
| sudden end to the fleeing tigers ratio
eination. Sarathkumar Ghosh, il
Cornhill Magazine.