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

| x2S ~ % 5Scs,~ Blake, master Of
the bark New
town, which, by stress of weather,
had been driven so close into the
shore of Lower Guinea, Africa, that
the skipper had, been obliged to
anchor to save his vessel from strand
ing.
On the day after anchoring he went
on hunting excursion, from which
he soon returned, bringing with him
the little cub of tigress, which he
had found in a cavern.
The creature was not as large as a
full-grown cat, but it looked much
fercer. The captain took it aft,
holding it up by the back of its neck
before his daughter.
'See, louisa he exclaimed,
laughing, 81 have brought curiosity
to show you. Look your fill, for L
intend to shoot the animal as soon as
my gun is loaded for me.
Squirming and kicking, the cub,
elevating its ears and wagging its
short tail, with its round eyes gleam
ing like hot Goals, snarled viciouslY
while endeavoring to disengage itself.
Then it was that Louisa, as already
stated, besought her father not to kill
the creature, but to let it CO.
"You carry your pity too far, my
child, " answered the captain. Don't
you know that if I let this cub go it
may live to grow up and tear some
human baiDcr +o Tippag9b
"You can keep it IN a cage and pre-
serve it,, said the third mate.
'That would be too much trouble"
was the reply. "But don't think I'll
shoot it, after all. Here, Brand" he
added, turning to his first officer,
Loqisa's betrothed, fine, handsan-
embroTnel -u6B, y it down
to the deck and you can knock it on
the head with handspike. That will
be the best way to get rid of it."
Il do not think So" said Brand.
"As one blow would not kill the crea-
ture it would suffer much torture be-
fore it died"
"Ay, ay; now, here is soft-hearted
fellow for you'll" exclaimed the captain.
Louisa, he is not worthy of you. He
is afraid of a little cub! Come, sir.
You must do as 1 sayl'
mo, sir!" replied the young man,
descending into the cabin, where he
was soon joined by Louisa, who en-
gagged him in conversation to remove
any disagreeable impression her
fathers remark might have made.
The second officer, Mr. Barle, was
not quite as scrupulous as Brand.
He did the work the other had re-
fused, killing the cub with four blows,
three of which caused the animal in
tense suffering.
81 did not know Brand was such a
coward, remarked the captain, as he
threw the body of the young beast
overheard.
"Nor l." said the second mate.
cit was lack of nerve, and nothing
else, that made him refuse to kill the
cub"
Louisa emerged from the cabin in
time to hear these words. She said
nothing, but her lip curled with scorn
as she swept past the speaker
Two hours later it was night. The
moon shone brightly, lighting up the
bark and the wild scenery of the high,
wooded shore, within few fathoms of
which lay the vessel, one of her yards
forward almost touching the branch of
a tree on the bank.
The captain had let go only one an
Choir. The largest one hung from the
starboard catheads, ready to be
dropped at a moments notice, if re-
CURED.
By the after-rail stood the shippers
daughter, talking to her lover. On
the other side of the deck was the Sec
ond mate, Mr.. Barle. Forward all the
men, except one, were in the forecas-
tie, asleep.
Suddenly a crashing sound was
heard on land; a large. dark, striped
body emerged from the shrubbery
With a wild, sharp yell, huge tigress
evidently the mother of the cub
tracking her lost young one-sprang
aboard the bark!
The man forward, uttering cry of
terror, darted down into the forecas-
tie. The tigress, bounding aft,
crouched within few yards of the two
lovers.
She was huge animal, about eight
feet in length, with an enormous,
broad head and body whose appear
ance was rendered all the more terri
BILE from its being stained with the
mud and reddish earth through which
she had tramped and burrowed in her
search for her lost young one.
There she was, fresh from her ma
tive wilds, her long tail, as she dashed
it, beating the deck with noise like
q club-hammer, her sharp fangs