Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-02-28
DAILY SHORT STORY
A MIDNIGHT PERIL.

three years when / met Binks. He was
young man Of eighteen or twenty and
a half wit He had neither home nor
friends. and no one knew where lie
came from. but he was allowed TO hang
around the place and assist the keepers
for his board. He had been there about
a month when l saw him. He was a
butt of ridicuIe, and some OF the keep
ers were treating him harshly. He had
been severely cufed by one Of them
just before being sent TO me and was
crying over IL Ike a girl. l sympa-
thiZed with him and braced him up by
giving him the first coin he had had
IN a year. and we two soon got on good
terms.
About six weeks after my first meet
ing with BinkS l was sent for 10 pre-
serve the carcass of a buffalo. and the
lad was ordered to assist me. II was in
winter time and the weather very cold.
The buffalo had been ailing for week
or two and had died at night in shed
and his body froze as hard as iron.
Binks and l had 10 thaw it out before
we could start at the real work, and so
it occurred that we worked until late
1t was after 10 o'clock when l began to
wash up, and l looked around TO find
the boy curled up on some blankets and
evidently asleep. As IL was room
heated with steam pipes. 1 decided not
to disturb him
There was Il door of communication
between the dissecting room and the
animal house, but 1t was never closed.
| had briefly examined ii on two or
three occasions to find it locked In
the animal house the keepers made
their rounds every three hours, begin
ming at 5 o'clock. Between 9 and 10
o'clock l had worked mostly alone,
while Binks was i'll and out of the
place four or five times. l had no rec
objection of seeing him near the lock-
ed door, however. He was seemingly
asleep. as | said, and | was washing
my hands preparatory to taking my
departure when a low growl behind
me made my hair stand up. l turned
to find a male Bengal tiger on the far
side OF the carcass of the buffalo and
between me and the animal house
door. The door, as l afteTward found
out. was Il swing door and opened with
out noise after being unlocked and shut
itself with spring. No one but Binks
could have unlocked it.
The tiger was looking me full in the
eyes as l turned, and it seemed as If l
turned to stone. | must have breathed,
but | was not conscious of it The
beast had somehow escaped from its
cage in the animal house, and the scent
of blood had drawn him to my room.
He did not have the reputation Of he
ing particularly ferOciOus, but one
hasn't got to be connected with Il ZOO
to know that the tiger is always dan
gerOus animal, particularly when he
has the scent of blood under his nose.
The beast growled menacingly and
switched his tail as l stood there look
ing at him, and when the blood began
to run in my veins again l knew that
the chances against me were ten to one
aye. hundred There was a fresh
carcass under his nose to tempt him.
but a wild beast does not sink down
and begin TO feed off a carcass when
there is a living man twenty feet be-
yond.
l had read, as everybody else has,
that one should look q dangerous beast
foolish advice. The tiger not only star
ed me out of confidence, but the fact
that / was staring at him seemed to
anger him l believe the result would
be the same in any case. His tail con
tinued to switch, his eyes to flatten, and
his lip dropped down to show his hor-
rible fangS. l realized that in another
minute he would spring on me. but to
save my life 1 could not move foot.
The idea of fighting him never occur
red TO me- If il had should have had to
abandon 1t the next instant, as there
was no weapon at hand. l had forgot
ten the presence Of Blnks when a low,
menacing grOwl from the tiger awoke
the boy
II thought it was morning." said
the half wit. as he got to his feet and
rubbed his eyes.
Then he noticed me staring fxedIy at
the tiger and turned his face in that
direction.
Hello. Nero, l knew you would J
ing over the carcass of the buffalo he
put his arms around the neck of the |
king of the jungle The beast whined |
and licked his face.
We are great friends. you know"
explained BinEs as he turned to me. Il |
have been in his cage night after night |
when nobody knew anything about It. l |
unlocked that door and the door Of his |
cage aud told him if he would come In |
after you were gone we would have a |
-omp. Stop your growing. That gentle
man has been very good to me. Come /
over aud pat him on the head, Nix
Hastings. Nero won't hurt anybody |
unless | tell him to-
was thoroughly frightened. and how
| carried things of as well as did has
always been a puzzle TO me. All the
money in the world could not have In
1uced me 10 approach the beast. He
was quiet now. and his eyes no longer
liazed ont. but what I wanted was to
get out OF that as soon as possible.
.'Binks, / am in hurry tonight and