Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1904-01-27

ne hard bed q the cave and comlasss
rest sim noarer me.
From TIE new viewpoint she gave ne
another critical survey. then yawnsd
again, burying her veg oyos IN fuf. !
took advantage Of the opportunity 70 sit
up, and had It not been for mortal ter
ror could have reared when she opened
her eyes and discovered the transforms
ton. Her java came together with 4
click Drecludlng levity. she hung her
head on d side, then on The other.
her ears priched up and one eye half
closed.
Still uncertain she crept a bit nearer,
smiled the corner Of the blanket and
touched it with her paw. ready to touch
It harder II It stirred. With another
wriggle she came close enough to snif
The saddle against which / was leaning.
What an opportunity for study from
the life, If the morrow would only have
taken thought for the things Of itself.
But her jaws were within six inches OF
my ribs. inside which a heart was
humping furlously.
Scarcely moving my wrist I could
touch her throat with the muzzle Of my
revolver. but no ball could ever pene-
trate that mat OF hair.
She was i%ndolently interested-half
asleep. wondered If ] could possibly
part the hair, and ventured to touch her
throat just under the ear, moving the
muzzle only enough to push back a little
fur.
My cold finger trembled on the trig-
ger, ready to take my only chance the
moment she rebelled when, by the love
OF Heaven, she began to purr!
Though stupid with fear I realized
that she liked it and that could profit
by the same. Cautiously increasing the
motion I went deeper, for the mat was
thick and me shot must do the work.
But the harder I scratched the better
she purred. When l stopped for an in
slant, to see IL l had reached the skin,
she rolled her head to my hand, pre-
cisely like a cat and looked at me IN
such a gentle way that, fool that l was.
It reused a most unnecessary sentiment.
By degrees l brought my free hand to
relieve the pistol. I know why, but
hardly expect that It can be believed:
/ was afraid that by some accident the
revolver would go of. So l scratched
till my arm ached, while the soft brown
eyes looked into mine as lovingly as
why, as a cats eyes, when one is maxi
ing her quite comfortable. Gradually
all her muscles relaxed and her head
sank on my leg.
It was a shock that sent ice to my
spine, My empty hand drew back and
the muzzle touched her throat. The
purring ceased. The eyelids quivered.
l took the hint and scratched again till
she had purred herself to sleep. It was
my golden opportunity, but while one
half Of me dripped with mortal terror,
the other half saw only a royal Bengal
beauty, and was warmed by a thrill OF
triumph as l watched the magnificent
head Of the queen of the jungle resting
on my knee.
Shootl Not for my life. But she was
dreaming. She had forgotten me. A
culver shook her handsome coat. Her
tail swayed gracefully. A dream growl
sounded and In the paws, so close to me,
the g%listening claws appeared.
She was a tiger! When she woke she
would call on me for lunch. Only now
she was at my mercy. My hand trembled
as it brought the muzzle again to the
mark. Her drowsy eyes half opened,
with a sigh Of relief that it was all e
dream, and she began to purr.
Cold pe%rspiration was on my fore
lead, but I laid the pistol down and
scratched again till suddenly pricking
np her ears she sprang to her feet,
leaped back and erouched.
l caught the revolver again for a des-
perate chance, but It was too late. With
q savage yelp and bound she disap-
peared in the depths Of the cave and in
an instant there flashed back at me two
yellow balls OF light. Panic-stricken /
bolted for the tree where / had left my
horse, but all that remained Of him
could only tell me on what my lady
dined, that she had not cared for me. /
also discovered the cause Of her dis
~turbance, however. Tor the Lancers were
marching up the trail.