The Delta independent., 1900-06-15
THE LANE TIGER
OF flULDUANl.
l Story showing That ID Is Moro Ran-
Eerous to Bs u Coward Than
to He brave.

.@asDss3s-s: ss.eSs o9:sS3@<sss.ssS~3
1t was in the middle of May. just be-
fore the beginning Of the lesser rains.
that RAM Deen ana certain wayfarers
sat round handful Of iire ut la! Koo-
ah from mere force OF habit. for the
heat OF the evening was great. aud not
breath of air stirred In the jungle.
The sal trees had lost their leaves and
looked like ghosts. the grass lad been
burned in all directions. aud as the sun
set in the copper sky 1t lit up land
scape that might have stood for the
"abomination 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 !nbued with the de-
pressing Influence Of the season and
hung their heads with sense Of de-
spair.
No one spoke. aud the lookah passed
from hand to hand In n drcary silence.
Suddenly the attention of those assem-
bled was attracted by the curious ac-
tiOn Of bya (tailor) bird In n neigh
boring miniosa tree. II was calling
frnnticnlly and dropping lower from
bough to bouga. as though against Its
will.
Nag. 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 Its doom through the fascination Of
fear. g
/ Ram Deem. whose sympathies were
always with the weak aud 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 its hypnotic innuence.
new away. - ts
'Erothers.~ said Ram Deep. fear Is
the father of nll sins and the cause OF
most calamities. He who fenretb not
death In . king IN his own right and
dieth but once. but a coward
Ehabash. who can count his pangsY'
"II0. hO.- cliucklssl the little bullock
driver. Ram Deem. the fearless. shall
live TO he 4 hundred years OIL"
"Nay. Goor Duftr' said Ram DccD.
grnveiy regarding the little man. Il.
too. have known fear No EinB may
drive the mail to IiaIndoongie with
out looking ON death"
Ram Deem smoked awhile In silence.
and when the expectation of fls lIsteus
ers was wrought To n proper pitch he
went on. "Yc all knew Nandhn. the
hostler. who used 20 go with me last
year from this stage TO Ealadoon2ie?''
aye. coacli-wan ji." responded the
carrier for the others. '''Tis great
telling, bet not known to these hon
ornble wayfarers who come from be-
yond MorndnEad.''
"BvotheTs. ye snw the plight of the
bya bird bit now. was II with
Snndia.- yrsd Rnr, Decn.
"Cne evening ere tIic mail arrived he
called me to where he stood by the
kikar tree yonsier. looking down at
the ground. In the dust of tie. road
were large footprints.
These Ike the rpoor of a tiger lame
in Its left hind foot ! said TO Napdila.
Zee. here 1t crouchrsi on hs belly and
wiped away the wheel trncks nsss'e by
the mnil cart this MORNING.
"'"ris the lame tixeg of Huldwani
cpnchwnn. lie Is old. and ,tc hunsctb
man. s,unga send he In hunting else
where tonight replied Nandi,a.
when we came within a mile Of the
Fore bridge that night. the horses
stopped suddenly. They were will
with fear. and refused 10 move. The
night was rs dark as the inside OF
gourd. and beyond Ne circle Of light
made by our laoterns We coulI discern
In the middle Of the road two balls of
fire close TO the ground
".isag tigrrD.' said Napdha. ss Lie
eitmtssi over fato the back seat. we
i,~ dead men Ram 1Svn.'
Blow co,ssina ntIctI. giving bi.S
Tie bugIe. ani he startled the jungle
with blast. ! gathered M the reins.
md. adding my voice to the terrors Of
s;andha's music. ! urged the horses
with whip anil yriI toa fsry q speed.
end The ilgisscd lanterns SHOWED the
eSrss di-asf sraving tofo the ,lsrkne~s
60 e.xrpp SUv onsss.
-N.ntIha svas.-I not from blowing
o1 the LuxI~ tlsI ! tsos IL from him by
fore. ~ the door ~ the postoas~r at
Kaia,;orscic.
-T'my gssr Iht.o 'sRprs ia -nsos-e
nj srIa-k 10 drink crv l,r -i.pt that
n.slsk G,fi t,.xt efSss5ff<f M AcNj~esI
lin pf r-s,oa soss wsIic. and he ksst-
q rsuua 10, = sko6u - s6pset ~
see the tieers eyss svesywbere.
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