The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-04-16

| they went with a thunderous crash.
There, close locked amid tornado OF
flying sawdust, they whirled and
| thrashed and wrestled, while the air
rang hideously with mad roarings,
snarlings. howlings, shriekings and
ceilings
For one frozen second the quartet In
the game of holdup stood like statues.
Then pistol shot perforated a far cor
ner of the ceiling, there was strangled
below of terror, and dark figure dove
| headforemost through the window,
with a mighty crash of glass.
"Wait fer me, Mixer another voice
implored.
There was second rush, and the
| glass of another window shattered.
Across adjacent fields two gashed faces
dripped blood at such intervals as
man may cover in mighty leaps. The
holdup was over.
But what did McArdell care? Wedg-
ed half way down his dumb waiter, he
alternately cursed his girth and the inn
pulse that had led him to that false hope
his profanity with the feryor of man
who momentarily expects tiger to
reach down and bite his head off.
Above the din of battle he could hear
Tim, his assistant, reciting In series
of frenzied bowls n catalogue of hor-
rors to freeze the blood. Tins voice
seemed TO come from up stairs, but Nc
Ardell couldn't be sure because of the
noise of the fight. Would the unequal
| conflict never end? 1t seemed impossi-
BILE that human strength could so long
hold out. And now the clamor began to
mitigate. then died away until nothing
could be heard but hoarse painting
Hes getting his wind before he eats
| poor Squabl' thought the imprisoned
| saloon keeper. "Then he'll come after
mer forecast followed by so paralyz-
| ing an excess of terror that he lost
consciousness for moment. The voice
| of Tim brought him back.
"Mr. McArdelll Oh. Mr.. McArdeIl!
Where are your
"1n the dumb waiter shaft"
| Come up. He's dead"
"0f course he's dead. Did you think
the tiger was pettin' him, you fool2"
"Of course nothin' It's the tiger
that's dead"
Sheer amaze at the prowess of SQUAD
ONeill choked McArdell for the mo-
ment. Then he called:
Help me out of this. I'm stuck FIST
erin prize onion in goats gullet.
Get me out, sayp'
| Rv dtnf Of fannh ho tIfpo nd cts
Cling McArdell emerged. His first
glance fell upon the corpse of Sala-
mander, stretched on the floor On 1t
sat SQUAD 0'Neill. He was breathing
very hard. All about was scattered
the money dropped by the robbers In
their haste, and Tim was doing the Jig
of jubllation among 1t. McArdel stag
gered over and laid q hand on the
striped body of the tiger.
SQUAD O'Neill," said he, speak
truth TO a man that's feared for his
reason. Is that SalamanderT"
sit sure Is" said SQUAD.
us he deadT
"Deader'n the ant Noah's elephant
stepped on"
"And you're alive?"
AN dry"
McArdell wabbled over to the bal
and took the biggest drink of whisky
he had swallowed In ten years.
Hold hard" said SQUAD resentfully
II need that worse'n you do"
NEED nothing" said McArdell-"man
that can lick tiger hand to hand.
How'd you ever do it?"
well, he didn't fight back much"
didn't fight backp'
NO" explained Squab "He couldn't.
You see. he's stuffedr'
STUFFED" yelled McArdell. "How
could he roar If he was stufredT'
II did the roarin'," explained the con-
| vivIal Aleck, thrusting his head In at
the door. ITS t'irsty work, but for a
long drink could roar s'more."
"An' / put In the snarlin' an growl-
In" added SQUAD. II didn't 60 fer to
fool you at first, Mac" he added ear
nestly. 81 told you | was sent to get
Salamander, though l didn't tell that
he died last week and has been at the
taxidermer's ever since. So l come
back to show you, an Aleck come
along to help, an when we run into
the holdup we done our little act, Sala-
mander an me. an" he concluded ju-
ideally, 81 think 1t was n sensation.
Do we get drink, the three of usT"
Very late that night they left dis
reputable Salamander on the head
trainers doorstep. His fur was flecked
with sawdust and exuded an unmis-
taxable flavor of revelry. Cooked over
one eye was a wreath made of greens
and the gold foil from champagne bot
ties. In his mouth was flask Of
brandy. Each fore paw clasped whis-
ky bottle. each hind paw a magnum of
champagne. The end of his tail flaunt-
ed corkscrew. On his massive fore
head was placard for all to read:
"Treat him kind. for be done his best"
1t was signed with four names, that
Of SQUAD O'Neill conspicuous among
them. Next day SQUAD lost his job. but
he doesn't care. McArdell is going to
set him up for himself as a tiger train
er one Of these days.
| The wenda.
IN outward appearance the Wends
are throughout powerful, healthy and