The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-11-18

click. and an attendant scurfied away. |
The cage had evidently . door, NJ
ting 30 closely that It escaped detec'
ton. Through this the monster had
been driven, and now stood with pared
fangs, confronting him.
It wheeled and began to encircle
him. Lofts turned too. Beyond the
tigers face he could see the interest
ed face of the Ratah, and those Of the
audience. evidently enjoying them
selves.
His blood ran cold as he looked into
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 az
gamely as possible. He tried to nerve
himself to set an example to the ruler;
he knew that on his behavior might
depend the lives of hundreds of wom-
en- and children, shut up in lonely hill
stations within the Ra1ahs realm.
The tiger suddenly leaped. LOFTS
lodged, ducked and fed away until
he came up against the glass partition.
He heard the laughter OF the audi
ence; he heard the handclapping. It
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. It
| circled round and round, as II 1t 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 lest he could make
better showing. He drew 1t out and
held it in his hand 1t was large
pocket knife, but 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 evasive
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. thu
} cleaning eyes, he read the murder i'm
pulse there, and suddenly its mat
leaped up in his heart. His fears lef
Y him. With a ringing shout he spranl
| forward and dashed at the monster
! throat
1t was gone. He fell with thu
J against the glass Of the wall Stunned
he dropped unconscious; yet even Il
that instant he noted an extraordinar
fact that he had not previously dit
cerned.
The monster had six legs. the extr
pair snugly tucked away under 1t
d chin.
"Yes-O indeed, yes, we thank 20
for q most entertaining exhibition,
s said the Rajah to Lofts.
7 Lofts opened his eyes. He wa
4 back in his apartment. and the Rata
was bending over him with please
smile.
"You see." the ruler explained. IN
people are very bitter against tt
r English Just now. It was necessal
to give a spectacle-a show, you u
derstand. before they would consel
to my sparing your life and remainir
O. neutral in this war. That Is a MI
IN tiger, eh. Mr.. Loftis?"
to He chuckled and doubled over.
n. mo tiger" he said. Just ortho
" teris, you understand. Indian crickt
at shaped and striped like tiger. b
only half an inch long. Looks We
,s. much like a tiger, eh, with half in
OF Of magnifying glass in front OF him