The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-14

the greatest ease. As proved afterward.
he carried his prey for half mile. and
then descended into another ravine and
dropped the boy in a small. cleared
/ spot.
| You will want to know how Gordon
! Prince felt in the jaws Of a tiger carry
| ing him off to eat him. For a moment
he was ready to faint with fear. II was
such a sudden thing that no wonder he
was shaken. However. as the tiger ran
forward the lad remembered that there
I was no help for him unless he helped
himself. lie had hung TO his rife. To
eat him the tiger must drop Him. and
when that moment came there might be
q chance for a shot.
When the moment came Gordon
couldn't take advantage Of It. as he
was deposited face downward. In
seizinG him the tiger had fastened its
teeth only in the stout clothing. There
had been no blood drawn and no re-
sistance TO anger the tiger. He had
made a full meal and was not hungry
These things accounted for what fol-
lowed. He began to play with the
boy as a kitten does with a ball. Cor
don saw that he was not TO be eaten
at once, and he let go his clutch OF
the rifle and played dead" The
beast rolled him over and over. tapped
at his boots with a paw. and purred
in a gOod-natured way as if asking
for frolic. Sometimes he would
run around in a circle. and then again
straight away for a short distance
The first time the tiger ran away
Gordon was about to turn over and
seize his rifle for a shot but luckily
he held his hand and opened his eyes
bit. The tiger was behind a bush
fifteen feet away. and had there been
movement he would have been on
the boy in one leap.
The play was stn' going on, the
tiger seeming to be careful not to hurt
with tooth or claws. when the heaters
came back down the ravine. and the
hunters could be heard calling to each
other. The tiger sat up and Growled
low in his throat. and the boy felt
that If he moved an eye he would be
torn to pieces. There was n worse
trial yet to come Two of the hunt
ers stopped so near the boy and tiger
that every word OF their conversation
could be heard. While they talked the
tiger crOuched close down to the lad.
say. nova" observed one of the
hunters. 81 think the niEgers must be
mistaken. / don't think the tiger.
came this way at all
Il agree with you. All ut noise
should have routed him - e this.
Have you seen young p. within
few minutes"
Not for half an hour"
Did he go up to the head of the
ravine?"
Can't say. Bright boy. but shouldn't
have brought a son Of mine into this.
We'd better hustle along and see If We
cas get any track of him.
In a way it gladdened the boy to know
that human beings were near. and yet he
felt relieved when they passed on The
low growing kept up by the tiger was
menacinE. Ii the hunters came nearer
he might charge out at them, but he
might turn and finish the nearer prey
first. He continued to growl for ten min
utes after the men had passed on. and
then instead of returning to his play
full antics he became sullen and rough.
Three or four times his claws drew
blood. and IL looked as if he were work.
ing himself up to do something savage.
Growing. ne retreated a few feet, and
then the boy took action. His right hand
rested on histrife. and he felt for the
hammer and softly drew il back Then
he sprang to his feet and drew the rifle
to his shoulder.
In his surprise TO see a dead boy come
to life. the tiger had leaped aside, but in
five seconds he was gathered for the
spring. and his body was in the air when
the bullet crashed into his brain. And
then what did Gordon do? Why. the
proper thing. He tainted dead away, and
the hunters found his body beside that
of the tiger when they came searching
He was boy of flesh and blood, and not
of stone.