The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-21
SAVED BY A
CHRISTMAS TIGER
He Was a Bad One, and His
Gift Was Involuntary but
Highly Welcome.
By w. Murray Graydon.
By w. Murray Graydon.

| guage metals to Kama. From that
| point the great Trans Siberian Rail-
way was in working order southwark
| to Vladivostok, on the Pacific, dis
| lance of one hundred miles, and twice
| as far again towards Khabarovka in
the north.
From the log hut of the manager
| flashed CLEANS of yellow light and
| inside three men were smoking and
chatting round a blazing fire.
when l went home on four months
| leave last year." said Hazard, the
| American mining engineer, land told
my people in Colorado that there were
| tigers in Siberia, I'll be hanged if
| they would believe me-"
Count Victor Sandoff smiled as he
| drew a cigarette from silver case.
Il am not surprised-no," he answer
ed. 1T is not generally known that
the tiger exists here, and that it is
the largest and fiercest of its species"
And you've travelled all these thou
sands of miles to bag one of the brutes
alive. You Russians are amazing chaps.
There's no stopping you when you've
set your heart on thing"
Il am fond of sport" the count re-
piled, modestly. And it is nothing
very formidable in these days, the
journey from Moscow to the Pacific.
At my summer home on the slope of
the Ural Mountains l have collec-
ton of wild animals, including Bengal
and Caucasian tigers. 1 desired to have
one from Siberia. So l am here"
"At Kama, this afternoon" said
young Suvaroff, the third member of
the party, II heard that Captain Nico-
left and his men scared up big fell
low about fifteen miles north of here,
and chased him this way"
"Nicoleff and his Cossacks are after
other game-Serge Platoff, the Odes-
sa murderer, who escaped from the
silver mines of Nerchinsk seven
months ago." the count remarked.
Poor devil, what a distance he has
tramped" said Hazard. And in the
dead of winterl"
He deserves no pity. I assure you"
the count answered, coldly. He
killed Cossack near Khabarovka by
shooting him from ambush, and after
stripping him of his uniform"
Crunshing footsteps were head out
side, and the counts servant, Ivan, en-
tered the cabin.
Good news, sir!" he cried, address,
ing his master. You have caught the
tiger-at least the trap is sprung. 1
was less than half a mile this side Of
it when 1 heard the door fall"
and his servant set forth. armed with
rifles and protected by high boots and
stout shooting jackets. Their depar-
ture was watched enviously by Hazard
and Suvaroff. whose duties chained
them to the camp.
The box-trap, which Hazards men
had built of logs, was about five miles
from the mining settlement, and in
wild and desolate part of the forest.
c n
near they saw that the heavy door had,
indeed, fallen. Beyond doubt the
prize was bagged.
They moved softly toward the rear
of the trap, intending to peep through
a crevice, and as they reached the cor
ner they were startled by a rustling
and a swapping of bushes close ahead
of them. The next instant a monster
of tiger came into view half dozen
yards away.
Ivan, who was foremost, instantly
lifted his rifle and fired. A rear fol-
lowed the shot. Both men darted
back. When the smoke had drifted
aside, the tiger was not to be seen;
but he could be heard retreating
through the forest.
Il missed him. sir" exclaimed Ivan.
''I feared that he was about to spring,
so 1 fired in haste"
"But how did he escape?" said the
Count, in tone of bewilderment. "Can
there he two tigers?"
They returned to the rear of the trap.
and the mystery was solved A large
rock used as a foundation stone had
sunk, and this had so weakened the
end wall that the imprisoned animal
had been able to pry the logs apart
and slip out. Inside the trap lay the
half-devoured carcass of the sheep that
had served as a lure.
What stroke of misfortune!" said
the Count, bitterly. HE was a fine
specimen. that fellow-larger than my
Bengal. 1t was probably the same tiger
that the CosSacks chased"
Lucky for us. sir that he had lust
filled his stomach" replied Ivan, "else
he would have attacked u.s." AS he
spoke he walked forward few yards
and bent over a patch of snow "Ah
I did not miss, after ALI" he cried
Count Sandoff hurried to the spot.
The surface of the snow was scared
with the print of huge paws, among
which were several dark red blotches
HE made off at full speed, sir" Ivan
observed, doubtfully.
He won't stick at that pace long
If he is losing blood. Come; let us
start without delay"
The pursuit proved less difficult
than might have been expected, for
lnere was much snow to betray the
course taken by the retreatings tiger.
The hunters pushed on zealously for
three or four nights now losing the
trail. now picking it up again.
Suddenly the chase came to an
abrupt termination on bare rocky
ground where neither bloodstains nor
footprints could be discovered. The
men stopped, surprised to find them
selves close upon the line of the
Trans-Siberian Railway. 1t lay sew
eral hundred yards below them, at
the base Of the slope. A long goods
train had pulled up for some reason.
and the throbbing of the engine could
be heard clearly.
Immediately on the left was the
mouth of a narrow, densely wooded
gorge, which appeared to terminate
against rocky buttress that jutted
out from the crest of the hill.
1T is ten to one," said the Count
that the tiger has sought shelter in
there. 1t is natural trap, and per-
haps we can take the animal alive /
Will slip down 10 Kama on the train.
hasten To the camp. and return with
men and nets. Meanwhile you keep
strict watch here"
The prospect did not please Ivan.
but he had no choice in the matter
"Will you give me your rifle, sir7" he
asked. Mine fell In the snow, and
] daren TO trust IT,"
Count Sandoff parted with his
weapon, and a moment later he was
FASTENING down the slope, never
doubling that the coveted tiger was
hidden In the Businesses OF the gorge
i