Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-25

tempt when startling sound close by
chilled their blood with horror. They heard
and shifting noise.
,., lit y y 2 tigerr sasped ouin. Heaven
Yes s. the brute tae natives hoped to trap.
DoubtlesS 1t is a Vaan7aater"
If he would only chase the assassin
be is more sure r u.s." the captain
said, hoarsely. I'VE are lost, unless we
can kill it with oyH reviewers"
imp a d on 9be 5sRiiea ouin ut may be
They did not despair. though the situa-
ton was truly Mightful. The tiger was
as wary as it was hungry. 1t showed its
massive ma head head and,aeryfyes at the opening
Englishmen could 1eveEtheir weapons with
sure aim; otherwise they dared not fire.
Then the great brute 1prowled for a time
about the three covered sides of the pit,
cunningly keeping to tffe firm earth. 1t ut
tered fretful, blood-cuEdling growls. which
increased In frequency and rage. The men
shifted their positions constantly, crouch
ing under the side where they detected the
soft FOOTBALLS, so that the tiger, If it should
resolve to spring, would land beyond them.
Ihis Is getting tiresome," said Quin.
How will it end?"
In our making a meal for the brute"
the captain answered. gloomily. II don't
see much hope. All, if it would only show
itself long enough
Look out!' shouted Quin.
AS he spoke two-thirds of the reed flor
ing OF the pit came rafting down upon
the Englishmen, and under the impression
that the tiger was following they darted
in panic to the opposite side.
Looking back they saw terrible sight.
The beast had evidently demolished the
roof with a stroke of its paw and now, on
the edge Of the pit, the king of the jungle
was crouching for spring. 1t was a mag
nihcent, gigantic creature Its eyes shone
like balls of fire. and its long tail switched
neryOuSlv. 1t rOared again and again.
drowning the shrill cutlery of the dog, who
had until this moment been silent from
sheer terror.
Hes coming!" cried Quin.
Aim for the head." yelled the captain.
Don't miss"
Together the men fired, and the instant
the reports rang out they dashed to the
far end of the pit. And the next moment
they realized, with keen emotions of graft
tude and joy, that they were safe. For
the tiger, hit in the head with two balls
it sprang, fell short of its intended leap.
1t landed fairly on the stout, long -pointed
stakes, one piercing its neck, while two
more penetrated deep into it's body. A CUR
Cling roar, a brief convulsive struggle, and
the great animal yielded it's life.
Hurrah!' cried the captain
Karl Hamrach would have got a big
price for that fellow" Quin remarked, sad
ly.
They examined the dead tiger briefly, and
then, by the aid of the captains shoulders,
Qun managed to scramble out of the pit.
AAC save a manu- " COHpdHlOI, WHO lOl-
lowed 10 the upper earth after he had toss
ed the hound up. In spite of their terrible
and unnerving experience. they gamely re-
solved to continue the pursuit Of the muir
derer. And Rip, as quick to forget the
recent peril, took up the trail with his old
time keenness. The lantern, which had not
been injured, furnished light.
For two hours men and dog-the latter
always considerably in the lead-pressed
untringly through the jungle, each mo-
ment expecting to come up with their prey.
But the pink dawn had broken when Rip,
baying loud and clear, was overtaken on
the brink of deep gorge through which
torrent boiled and dashed at headlong
speed over jagged boders. And the first
glance brought disappointment to the Eng
llshmen, for they saw that the mysterious
Hindoo had escaped their vengeance
The explanation was at hand A circular
rut in the trunk Of a tree showed where
until very recently1a swinging cable bridge
had been fastenedi But now on the sheer
and rocky wall across the dizzy chasm the
= vine cables dangled 100 feet from their hold
above, within ten yards of the rivers dash
ing spray. ~
"Bafedr' oun exclaimed, angrily "see,
the bridge parted on this side"
And the assassin 2"
He escaped With, histlife. He was prob
ably nearly across Which,
You are quite night. so far as concerns
the cables breahng5a with the mans
weight" said Captain Medhurst, but he
certainly persisted, either by falling into
the raging waterx. or from being hurled
Win great iorCe against the opposite cliff.
And on refection,>I can't believe that the
fellow was Mana Sahib! He probably MUIR.
dered Golab Singh. so that he might steal
In and rob us with mpunity. The missing
niger is merely a coincidence"
The man was Mana Sahib," Quin re-
pied: and 1 am convinced that he es-
capped with his lfe-that the cables did not
Part until he was nearly over the bridge
1t is pity we have no means of crossing"
Il shall stick to my theory" declared
the captain.
And l to mine Quin doggedly asserted.
There the matter rested. The baffied
crackers, dog and men, trudged YEARLY
back to the dak-bungalow, reaching it in
the middle of the morning. At the pit they
found the native hunters who had dug it,
delighted with their prize A few rupees
induced them to come to the bungalow and
bury the Hindoo servant, and when that
sad ceremony was over the Englshmen
went on their way to Faisabad
At that place Quin made full statement
to a magistrate. and ultimately the crown
took the affair up and sifted it, The de-
cison arrived at was, as many readers will
remember, that the evidence was too fiimsy
to reverse the long-eNisted belief in Mana
Sahibs death, thirty years before. OF the
caretaker nothing was known, except that
he had recently applied for and received
the position.
But Quin saw no reason to alter his
opinion. He still believes that Golab
Singhs murderer was the notorious and
execrated fiend of the mutiny, and when
ever his vocation takes him TO India he
keeps close and constant watch for an ell
derby Hindoo with mutilated left hand.