The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-09-22
AWFUL EXPERIENCE OF
MGHTM EREIGHTCAR

worked around crosSwise, close up to
the end, Inc as l looked toward the
other end l saw two yellow lights, round
and Big, il seemed, almost as switch
lights
All that had happened had come
back in my mind, n l knew they were
the eyes of my friend who had hit me
the dab on the head He was suA
trSmping up and down the car coming
Close to me each time and turned. l
could make out his bulk vastly greater
than that of any dog, but nothing of
the color and little of the form.
Should We never reach u destina-
ton? Il seemed hours hat L lay there
l drank some of the water, but had no
appetite for the bread. Sometimes the
train shook and wrenched itself TO q
stop and then there We're the faint foot
falls of my car mate. He never. stop
ped-the same soft, steady, stealthy
tread. whether the train moved or stood
still. Should we never reach our desti-
nation?
At last we did. The train stopped.
and after a long while 1 felt the car
~UncoupIed and moved back. Then more
delay. Wouldn't It never end? Was
the car forgotten, and must I stay
E%AA~AS AA NA- S-A+- S~--ON-~- -o - --~~
would happen when h beast became
hungry? What sort OF i morsel would
I make him? I dared not rise up and
call for help. So I waited. Would they
never come?
At last they did .Ome. There was
There seemed to be no end to the talk,
the sound of . dozen voices outside.
Then a wagon arrived and backed up
to the car. There was the sharp blow
with a coupling pin which always opens
a car door lock. The door was pushed
back an inch.
The beast had stepped close to me.
The crack gave enough light to show
what he was. There he was. a tiger:
l saw his stripes, and his long tail,
waving slowly. The broken crate,
clearly too weak for what it had been
intended. stood at the other end of thu
car.
Through the crack the men could not
see him where he stood.
Push it Open," said one voice, whats
the matter with you?"
The door shot back. The tiger with
a roar sprang forward. Some one
struck at him with an iron bar; but
he Ieaped out. l was on my feet in time
TO see the man who had struck the
blow roll from the dray and lie uncOn-
scious on the ground. With three
bounds the tiger was away n behind
a long line of cars. The dray horses
snOrted and dashed off.
Are you the keeper demanded a
policeman, all excitement.
The sudden thought struck me that
1 was in more danger from the officer
than 1 had been from the tiger.
No, I'm not,' L answered..
The policeman took one look at me
and wisely concluded that the public
was in greater danger from the tiger
than from me. and started off in the
direction the animal had taken, follow
I'd by the men. l jumped out, lodged
under the cars and 81 got into the
street. In an hOur l was home.
From the newspapers, 1 learned that
a circus had d~isbanded in the town
from which 1 started, and this tiger.
not having been paid for, had been sent
back to his owners by some of the
| county sheriff's men, which accented
for the ~Slovenly way in which he had
been shipped.
| 1t seemed that he had had a good
| meal just before he started, which was
probably the reason for his not regard
! ing me rather as u dinner than a fellow
traveller. He was finally captured in 4
park. What became of him hen l don't
knOw.-By Hayden Carruth in Savan-
| nah News.