Evening journal., 1905-02-28
A Midnight Peril.

gardens In professional capacity for
three years when met Binks. He was
a young man Of eighteen or twenty and
a half wit He had neither home nor
friends. and no one knew where he
came from, but he was allowed to hang
around the place and assist the keepers
for his board. He had been there about
month when l saw him. He was a
butt OF ridicule, and some Of the keep
ers were treating him harshly. He had
been severely cuffed by one OF them
just before being sent to me and was
crying over It like q girl l sympa-
thjzed with him and braced him up by
giving him the FIRST coin he had had
In n year. and we two soon got on good
terms.
About SIX weeks after my frst meet
ing with Blnks was sent for to 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
OF two and had died at night in a shed
and his body froze as hard as iron.
Binks and I had to thaw It out before
we could start at the real work, and so
It occurred that we worked until a late
evening hour before was ready to 60.
II was after 10 o'clock when began to
wash up, and l looked around TO find
the boy curied up on some blankets and
evidently asleep. AS IL was a room
heated with steam pipes, I decided not
to disturb him.
There was a door Of communication
between the dissecting room and the
animal house, but II was never closed
l had briefly examined It on two or
three occasions to hnd It locked. In
the animal house the keepers made
their rounds every three hours, begin
ming at 8 o'clock. Between 8 and 10
o'clock / had worked mostly alone
while Binks was IN and out OF the
place four or Eve times. 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. / turned
to ind 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 afterwurd found
out, was a swing door and opened with
out noise after being unlocked and shut
itself with a spring. No one but Binks
could have unlocked II.
The tiger was looking me full In the
eyes as I turned, and II seemed as II /
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 be
ing particularly ferocious, but one
hasn't got to be connected with ZOO
to know that the tiger is always a dan
gerous animal. particularly when be
has the scent OF blood under his nose.
The beast growled menacingly and
switched his tail as / stood there look.
ing at him, and when the blood began
to run In my veins again knew that
the chances against me were ten TO one
aye, a hundredl There was a fresh
! carcass under his nose TO tempt him
but a wild beast does not sink dOwr
and begin TO feed or carcass wheI
there is a living man twenty feet be
yond.
had read. as everybody else has
that one should look a dangerous beast
In the eye. No one ever gave more
foolish advice. The tiger not only star
ed me out OF confidence, but the fact
that was staring at him seemed e
anger him. i believe the result would
be the same in any case His tail con
tlnued to switch. bis eyes TO fatten. and
bis lip dropped down TO show his hor
rible fangs. realized that In another
minute he would spring on me, but 4
save my life l could not move a foot
1.-THE idea OF fighting him never occur
red to me. If Il had should have had L
abandon II the next instant, as Their
was no weapon at hand. / had forgot
i ten the presence OF Binks when a low
menacing growl from the tiger awolrl
the boy.
r I'll thought It was morning" sail
= the half wit, as he got to his feet an'
rubbed bis eyes.
Then be noticed me staring nxedly a
the tiger and turned his face in tina
!, direction.
Hello, Nerol I knew you woul'
comet" he cried to the beast, and. leap
4 ing over the carcass OF the buffalo. b
put his arms around the neck OF tn
king Of the jungle The beast whine
ond UoEad hfa foca
1--WE are great friends. you know,
explained Blnks as he turned TO me.
have been IN his cage night after nigh
J. when nobody knew anything about It.
: unlocked that door and the door OF HI
3 cage and told him II he would come
after you were gone we would have
romp. Stop your growing. That gentl'
, man has been very good to me. Com
d over and pat him ON the head, NJ
5. Hastings. Nero won't hurt anybod
d unless l tell him to-
s was thoroughly frightened, and ho'
y 1 carried things on as well as l did hs
+ always been a puzzle to me. All II
money In the world could not have II
duced me to approach the beast b
was quiet now, and his eyes no long'
blazed out. but what wanted was
get.out OF that as soon as possible.
"Binks. l am In a hurry tonight an