The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-11-23

click. and an attendant scurried away
The cage had evidently a door, fit.
ting so closely that it escaped detec.
ton. Through this the monster had
been driven, and now stood with pared
fangs, confronting him.
1t wheeled and began to encircle
him. Lofts turned too. Beyond the
tigers face he could see the interest.
ed race OF the Rajah, and those of the
audience, evidently enjoying them
selves.
His blood ran cold as he looked into
the snarling, cayernous jaws, distend-
ed, the cleaning fangs, the claws out
stretched from the velvet paws, ready
to rend him.
Unarmed. he had no chance what
ever. All he could do was to die as
gamely as possible. He tried to nerve
himself to set an example to the ruler;
ne knew that on his behavior might
depend the lives of hundreds of wom-
en- and children, shut up in lonely hill
stations within the Rajahs realm.
The tiger suddenly leaped. Lofts
lodged. ducked and fled away until
he came up against the glass partition.
He heard the laughter of the audi
ence; he heard the handclapping. 1t
was rare sport for them.
The tiger leaped again, and again
LOFTS lodged it. 1t was curious but
when he regained his poise the mon
ster seemed no nearer than before. 1t
circled round and round. as if it would
never weary of stalking him, the
saliva dripping from its fangs, its huge
tusks projecting like an elephants
Suddenly Lofts remembered that he
had his pocket knife in his trousers.
With that-well, there was practically
no chance, but at least he could make
better showing. He drew ii out and
held it in his hand. 1t was large
pocket knife, but 4 tiny weapon in.
deed. If he could strike forcibly
enough to penetrate the monsters
hide and cut the blood vessels of the
throat, That was his only desperate
hope
He, in turn. began to stalk the mon
ster, which seemed curiously evasiye
in the dim light at that end of the
hall. Either some OF the bulbs had
been turned out or he was growing
dizzy. He tried to steady himself
He was drawing nearer to the creature
at every step, though they circled
about each other continuously.
He looked into the striped face the
cleaning eyes, he read the murder i'm
pulse there, and suddenly it's mate
leaped up in his heart His fears left
him. With ringing shout he sprang
forward and dashed at the monsters
throat.
1t was gone. He fell with a thud
against the glass of the wall Stunned,
he dropped unconscious: yet even in
that instant he noted an extraordinary
fact that he had not previously dis
cerned.
The monster had six legs. the extra
pair snugly tucked away under its
chin.
"Yes-O indeed, yes, we thank you
for a most entertaining exhibition"
said the Rajah to Lofts
Lofts opened his eyes He was
back in his apartment, and the Rajah
was bending over him with a pleased
smile.
You see," the ruler explained. my
people are very bitter against the
English just now. 1t was necessary
to give q Spectacle-a show YOU I'M
derstand, before they would consent
to my sparing your life and remaining
neutral in this war. That is a nice
tiger, eh. Mr.. Loftis?"
He chuckled and doubled over.
No tiger he said. Just orthop-
teris. you understand Indian cricket,
shaped and striped like a tiger, but
only half an inch long Looks very
much like tiger Ell, with half inch
of magnifying glass in front of him."