The Washington times., 1906-02-04

The mans voice was bit thick. and
now and then he luTched a bit, but one
could not have called him drunk
He felt that he was an ill-uSed man.
He had served for twenty years and had
only reached the grade Of major. T.iere
had been faVOTitism. II his bravery and
other merits had been recognized. he
would have been a bTigadier general
long ago. He had heard. after being
ordered 10 NagpoOr that the transfer
had been made because he was disliked
by his brother officers. Tins rCU BIN
up, and added TO that was the fact that
the passengers 10y stage had not stood IN
proper awe Of him
We kept on walking for half a mile
as we talked. and the major finally drew
me off the highway 10 a seat on the
ground beneath "A large tree. / sat with
my back 10 the trunk OF the tree, while
he sat in the open six feet away. l was
in the shade and he was IN the clear
moonlight with a shallow mullah or Ta-
vine thirty feet behind him. The man
had put down his pistOd and seemed 10
/ have no further thoughts against me.
From his military history me wander
ed OF 10 another topic. II appeared That
his wife had left him and applied for a
divorce. He was at great pain 10 Sdtls~
f. me that n was not his tAIll- lie
had been the best kind OF husband.
though her fOllleS would have driven the
average man TO cast her out He talked
without expecting me 10 answer He
asked questions and answered them
himself. l was impatient 10 get away
from him and into the bungalow, ana
/ kept hoping that his libatiOns would
finally end in his gOil 3 so sleep where
he sat. Instead Of that happening. how
ever. he seemed 10 grow more wakeful
as time passed on.
He had held me prisoner under the
tree for full hour when / suddenly no.
tiCed something queer beyond him. The
mullah was boTdered on our side by a
few scattered bushes and punches OF
grass Under the moonlight each bush
and bunch cast a shadow toward me
While my eyes were carel SLY resting
on these shadows one of them took the
shane Of a tigers head with the ears
cooked IN. I stared at the thing for a
minute or tWo, but detected no move
ment
Then the major began a story about
q battle. and in listening TO him / for
got all about the shadow. Perhaps It
was five minutes before / looked again.
II was still there even if il had not
grown palmer. From the shadow to the
fringe OF the jungle was not over five
PAGES. II a tiger was stalking US he
would creep down that raVine.
Major, look behind YOU and tell me
II you see the shadow Of tigers head, ~
] said.
"Bosh on your tigers head" he ex-
aimed. without turning his face. I
tell you I'm bound to get even with
your crowd. The man who struck me
must give me satisfaction. OF / will
Sho0t MIN down IKE a hyena-
Give me your pistol and let me fire
a shot"
You don't get it. I tell you, sir. that
you and your crowd have got
Then / thought a great football came
flying through the air 1t landed on
the major with a growi. fiirted a thick
tail about and struck me across the face
with it. and when / sat up and rubbed
my eyes the soldier had disappeared. /
heard crashing sounds ia the Jungle. but
when / called out there was no answer
rose to my feet and looked for the
shadow OF the tigers head. but IL had
vanished