The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-12-19
THE LANE TIGER
OF HULDUANI.
A Story Showing That It Is More Dam
Eerous to Be q Coward Than
to Be Brave.

heat of the evening was great, and not
breath of air stirred in the jungle
The sal trees had lost their leaves and
looked like ghosts. the grass had been
burned in all directions. and as the sun
set in the copper sky it lit up a land
scape that might have stood for the
determination of desolation."
The dry chirping of the crickets, just
beginning to tune their first uneasy
strains. accorded with the unholy
scene Even the horses waiting for the
mail cart were imbued with the de-
pressing influence Of the season and
hung their heads with a sense of de-
spair
No one spoke. and the hookah passed
from hand to hand In dreary silence.
Suddenly the attention of those assem-
bled was attracted by the curious &C.
ton of bya (tailor) bird in neigh
boring mimosa tree. 1t was calling
frantically and dropping lower from
bough to bough. as though against its
will
mag" exclaimed the bunnia. and,
directed by his remark, all eyes were
turned to the foot of the tree, where
an enormous cobra, with expanded
hood, was swaying its head from side
to side and drawing the wretched bird
to it's doom through the fascination of
fear.
Ram Deem. whose sympathies were
always with the weak and defenseless,
rose to his feet and, throwing a dry
clod of earth at the reptile, drove the
creature from the tree, while the bird,
released from it's hypnotic influence,
flew away.
Brothers," said Ram Deem, fear is
the father of all sins and the cause Of
most calamities. He who feareth not
death is a king in his own right and
dieth but once, but a coward
shabash! who can count his pangsT'
''Ho, hor' chuckled the little bullock
driver. Ram Deem, the fearless, shall
live to be hundred years old"
NAY, Goor Duttw said Ram Deem,
gravely regarding the little man. III,
too, have known fear. No man may
drive the mail to Kaladoongie with
out looking on death"
Ram Deem smoked awhile in silence,
and when the expectation Of his listen
ers was wrought to proper pitch he
went on, aye all knew Nandha. the
hostler, who used to go with me last
year from this stage to Kaladoongie !"
"Aye, coach-wan j." responded the
carrier for the others. "'Tis a great
telling, but not known to these hon.
orable wayfarers who come from be-
yond Moradabad."
Brothers, ye saw the plight of the
bya bird but now; so was it with
Nandha," said Ram Deem.
zone evening ere the mail arrived he
called me to where he stood by the
kikar tree yonder, looking down at
the ground. In the dust of the road
were large footprints.
"'These be the spoor of tiger lame
in its left hind foot l said to Nandha
See, here it crouched on its belly and
wiped away the wheel tracks made by
the mail cart this morning.
"''Tls the lame tiger of Huldwani,
coach-wap. He is old. and he hunteth
man. Gunga send he is hunting else
where tonight replied Nandha.
"When we came within a mile of the
Bore bridge that night, the horses
stopped suddenly. They were wild
with fear, and refused to move. The
night was as dark as the inside of a
gourd, and beyond the circle of light
made by our lanterns we could discern
in the middle of the road two balls of
fire close to the ground.
"'Bag (tiger),' said Nandha. as he
climbed over into the back seat we
be dead men, Ram Deem
elbow! | commanded, giving him
the bugle, and he startled the jungle
with blast gathered up the reins,
and. adding my voice to the terrors of
Nandha's music. l urged the horses
with whip and yell to fury of speed,
and the lighted lanterns showed the
great beast leaping into the darkness
to escape our onset.
"Nandha ceased not from blowing
on the bugle till took it from him by
force at the door of the postoffice at
Kaladoongie,
''They gave him bhang to smoke
and arrack to drink ere he slept that
night. for his great fear had deprived
him of reason for awhile. and he look
ed round him as though he expected to
see the tigers eyes everywhere.
1.-The bag followed me to the hither
side of the Bore bridge he said to
me next morning as we prepared to
return to Lal Kooah. But | laughed
at his fears. to give him his courage.
at is n devil he whispered. look
ing cautiously rounu him, and saw
that the light of his reason fickered.
when we came to the Bore bridge,
Nandha leaped to the ground, and in
the dim light of the morning l could
see the tracks of great beast on the
ground, to which he pointed. and even
as we looked there came the roar Of a
tiger. | could scarce hold the horses
while Nandha, whose limbs were stir
with fear. scrambled into the back
seat of the mail cart.
when a tiger puts its mouth to the
ground and gives voice. no man may
| tell whence the sound comes. so
staid not to see, if l might. where the
danger lay. but gave the horses free
rein.
| a. A al fbo of 40 hFsid ovo
Nandha screamed. Bag, bagn and
glancing back | saw the tiger in full
pursuit of us. and within 100 PAGES.
"'Blow!' | commanded, handing the
bugIe to Nandha; but, though he took
it from me, he appeared not to under
stand what he was required to do.
elbow? said | once more, shaking
| him, but he took no heed of me. and
was as a man who walks in his sleep
So l put my arm round him and lifted
him on to the front seat beside me. and
even as | pulled him to me his head
was drawn over his shoulder by the
spell of fear. There was a foam on bis
| lips and on his beard. and he shook sc
that feared he would fall off the mai
| cart.
"'Be brave. NandhaP | shouted tc
him. The beast is lame, and we shall
soon leave 1t behind For answer. be
turned his face to me for one instant
and his lips framed the word bag,
but no sound came therefrom.
Suddenly he laughed like child
that is pleased with toy. babbling
and saying: How beautiful is my lord
Soft be the road to his feet. But look