The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-05-10

away out of view. The shikTi.
crouching behind me, trembled yio-
lently Turning our gaze upward,
| Murdoch and l looked at the pal3ce
doorway, where a new figure had ap-
peared. The capstone on which. Sby
tradition, Raj Kehab's tiger emblem
stood carved in marble, had in the
daylight rested level and bare upon the
posts. Now upon the capstone, in the
full rays Of the moon, white ms the
marble beneath 1t, the form Of tiger
was silhouetted against the night sky,
For a few long seconds, while we
waited and wondered, it remained like
statue of alabaster, then in an in
stant vanished. 1t was all very queer
and eerie.
1T Is no delusion; we both saw him.
What do you thinkY l whispered to
Murdoch.
"We're here to shoot whatever
comes" the captain answered. If it
isn't trick Of imagination, II that's
the fellow that made the tracks in
the nullah, he should show up next
at the gateway. Hal what's that-be-
low the wall. at the foot of the steps?
The tiger can't have gone down there
so soonl It's a man-and he's going
up into the city"
In the excitement OF watching the
apparition on the caps.one we had
taken no further thought of the white
object afioat above the bushes. until
now, emerging into the open space at
the foot of the steps, it took form of
the turban of a tall man in native garb,
who began to ascend the steps to the
gateway. AS his head and shoulders
rose above the landing he looked
around, bringing his profile into view.
Murdoch started
"Khatra!' he whispered, shaking the
trembling shikari, tell me who 1t is
you see"'
captain sahib," the answer came
quiveringly. ''it is the spirit of his great
ancestor, Raj Kehab. 1t is Nadraj.'
The man went on, stepped upon the
landing and stood upright. while his
shadow, stretching across the platform
before him, fell upon a square-faced
upright stone. A pale something crept
like giant snake, then suddenly en-
larging enormously. shot forward in a
white streak which gathered upon and
overwhelmed tne tall figure at the
landing. The sound of a mans cry Of
alarm was lost In the deep-throated
note of a tigers snarl, as the two went
together down to the pavement. A
savage shake. the sound of crunching
bone. heard plainly by us hundred
yards away, and the tiger, rising to
his feet, lifted his head, and with eyes
glowing with 0pallne flames looked
over his victim across the nollah as If
in challenge to us
Our rifles were already sighted upon
him, and we fired together. Through
the smoke we saw the tiger rise into
the air above the man. fall half way
down upon the steps below, and roll
to the bottom. Before the rattle Of
our shots had died away among The
ruins he lay outstretched and motion
less at the foot of the steps. while at
the top the head of the man he had
killed, hanging Imply over the edge Of
the landing. seemed peeriny down at
his slayer.
We reloaded our rifles, crawled from
under the bush, and went over to
where the tiger was lying. By the
light of a torch we examined the mys-
terious beast which had terrified the
Rajah and his kingdom. Its hair was
milk-white from nose to tail tips. and
its eyes the color of red-hued irises. 1t
needed no naturalist to tell us that the
rarest of jungle trophies. an albino
tiger, had fallen to our guns.
II am an old man and have hunted
the jungle for all my days." said the
shikari. "but never have seen or
heard Of anything so wonderful"
Then we went up the steps to the
landing where the dead man lay. Muir
doch lifted the head-the neck was
broken-and as Khatra held the torch
down to the upturned face they both
exclaimed together, 1T is Nadrajr'
We laid the dead dacoit out on the
platform, with his folded turban COW
ering his face, and went back to the
tiger. The threat of death would not
have induced Khatra to touch the body,
but he held the torch while Murdoch
and l skinned the beast. We carried
the skins by turn through the jungle
to the village. and, after informing the
people that the tiger was dead, rode
back to the bungalow. With a squad
of police 'mmoned from Caramahat
Murdoch and l next morning went to
Nahrabad, where, having fully iden-
titled him as Nadraj, we buried the
dacoit chief by the side of the nullah
at the foot of the old wall Of the city
his ancestors had reigned.
Our white tiger skin was one of the
years wonders in India. 1t had
seemed pure white in the night, but in
the clear daylight the markings Of the
ordinary tiger could be seen family
indicated by clouded streaks, like light
crayon pencilings on the white ground
color. The Rajah was delighted with
what we had done, and he sent two
splendid emeralds to Murdoch and me