The Topeka state journal., 1908-04-10
THE EVENING STORY
A Question Of Time.

A night In India-humid,s BREATH
less; with great stars hanging in the
dark blue sky an dthe dang odor Of
rotting vegetation from the nearby
From his seat in a bamboo reclin-
ing chair Welton stared unwinkingiy
at the blazing consultations. The
punkah boy had fallen into exhausted
slumber on the mat and the huge
fan hung motionless overhead.
Welton could hear the low murmur
of voices from the Interior of the
bungalow, and he knew that by
slightly turning his head he could see
the pink glow of light from the
faces in the large mirror in the cor
ner.
The two forms leaned over the pia-
no, the white fingers of Marion Les
instrument while Akerslie murmured
tenderly in her pretty ear.
And 1t was because of these two at
the piano that Welton was very mis-
cradle and stared at the stars. He
knew that Mrs. Lester was nodding
corner of the room, and, as for him.
self--well. he seemed not to be in 1t
at all!
Col. Lester was Quartered at Luck
now. and when It was learned that
Welton could not obtain the desired
leave OF absence to visit his sweet
heart. Mrs. Lester had good naturedly
undertaken the journey to Welton's
| isolted station at Cola Chat.
The unexpected visit OF the two wo-
men had thrown the little station into
| a blissful confusion Of preparation.
The depredations OF man-eating
tiger had furnished an inexhaustible
source Of conversation. and had been
the occasion for many tentative trips
into the jungle for several weeks be-
L a -
now all was forgotten eave the fact
that there would be new faces to
break the dead monotony of the days;
the fresh faces and 1ow-toned voices
of refined English women.
And then Akerslie had stepped in
and spoiled it all. He had come UP to
see Welton and to try pot shots at
the maneater. but he had met Marion
Lester, and in spite of the fact that
he was Welton's guest and that he
knew the relations existing between
the two. he paid assiduous court to the
girl
| THUS far she had repelled his ad-
vances with a dignified GOODNESS that
seemed to infiames him to greater ar
dor This evening, however, the gen.
tleness of her manner toward him
and her careless treatment of her low
| er had driven the latter to sulky soli-
tude in the veranda.
| When the blue smoke wreaths from
l d
which obliterated the starry heavens
from his gaze, Welton dropped his
eyes and stared at two points of yell
low light that osciilated near the
ground.
They were ten inches apart, and
they moved in unison. WeIton cal
culated that they must be just with
out the bamboo stockade which in
closed the compound.
| There was prickly feeling along
| the spine, and he could feel the hair
raising slightly around his forehead
lected to close the great gate, and
that there was, perhaps, only a hun
dred feet intervening between the
man-eater and the open window of
the little drawing room.
| He thought rapidly, with his eyes
fixed on the lambent points of flame
in the velvet gloom of the gateway. II
he made q dash for the window and
the safety that lay beyond, the beast
would spring before he could close the
shutters behind his retreating form.
II he could make Akerslie hear, at
| least the women would be safe
"Akerslie!" he called in a low.
clear whisper.
"Yes?" came the other mans lazy
tones.
"Close these shutters instantly! The
man-eater"- His words were lost
in the quick manipulation of the iron
| rods from within and the shutters fell
with clang, blotting out the glow of
light and leaving Welton alone to
/ face the tiger.
The momentary confusion reused
| the beast into action. Welton could
4 see the slow approach of the yellow
eyes. could hear the padding Of the
great paws on the sandy path, and now
his long, sinuous form was dimly out
| lined in the starlight.
/ Welton remembered that he had left
his revolver on his dressing stand; it
could not be much of fight with all
rate, when the tiger had borne him
away to his lair, Akerslie, the cow
ard
Suddenly there was a terrific roar,
a sitting odor Of fur. Welton's hand
instinctively flew to his pocket and to
his surprise the revolver was there.
/ There was sharp crack at one OF the
yellow spots of light and rush Of air
as the beast sprang toward him. He
| dropped to the floor, and with a tre-
mendous thud the animal struck the
closed shutters and bounded back with
a blood-curdling scream of baffied
rage and pain.
Welton had leaped over the railing
| and slipped behind the protecting
/ trunk of giant teak. The animal
| snuffed about the veranda and pres
emily there was a cry of startled fright
| and Welton remembered the sleeping
punkah boy. He saw the tiger step
| ping down the path, his jaws gripping
| a dark. moaning bundle.
He knew that, unmolested, the beast
would now retire to the Jungle with his
victim, and that the occupants of the
bungalow as well as himself would be
| free from danger. He ground his teeth
and aimed for the other eye. He put
| 1t out.
In the light Of the stars he saw the
beast shiver. drop the dark bundle.
| which sped affrightedly away, and
then come toward him with bleeding,
blinded eyes and snarling mouth.
1t was only question of time now.
| Around the tree he lodged and then
farther AWAY from the house toward