Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-07-19
The Tigers
By EDISON
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE
DR.. Long, out fishing with Alex
ander Pierce, a detective, tells of his
projected trip to Southley Downs.
Pierce advises him to keep his eyes
wide open while there. On the way
in a train DR.. Long is attracted by a
girl, who later faints. DR.. Long
treats her, and looking into her bag
is astounded to find a loaded revolt
yer.
DR. Long meets Ahmad Das, an
Oriental, who conducts him to Sou
thley Downs, where he meets Mr..
Southley and his son Ernest South
ley, Mr.. Haywood and his son Villas,
and then Josephine Southley, who is
the girl he had met on the train. Jo-
sephine tells him the story of South
ley Downs and its ghost, which is not
the ghost of a human being but of a
tiger.
DR.. Long has a quarrel with Villas
Hayward over Josephine, and finds
that the Haywards have a strange
authority over the ~Southleys. He is
ordered to leave Southley Downs.
The rain prevents him leaving at
once. DR.. Long and Ernest go out on
the road in the rain looking for the
tracks of a tiger that Ernest says
are there.
They find the tracks. Later Err
nest and DIR. Long see a proving
creature in the hall of Southley
Downs. This frightens the elder
Hayward, who also sees it. Now
read on
Both of us knew in a single instant
that we would get a sight of the
thing as it crossed the open doorway.
Hayward had many candles in his
ROOM, and some of their light flung
out into the hall. But there was
hardly time to receive the thought,
much less act. There was no time
whatever to rase a pistol. Our quar-
ry was a long way in front of us; and
the door was scarcely wide open be-
fore it passed in front.
Of course, it was too far to see
plainly. But | had no more delu-
sions about its reality. The disease
that afflicted the old manor house
was surely drawing to a crisis.
The creature we saw fitted with
disturbing consistency into the old
legend of the mansion. The form
was low and long, and although the
light was dim its general color was
perfectly visible to both of us. 1t
was a rich, beautiful yellow, striped
with black. There were no ~extenuat-
ing circumstances. Both of us saw
it, as plain as we saw the open door
way. The posture was exactly that
of . great cat creeping, with belly
low hung, upon its prey.
Neither of us stopped. | don't
think either of us cried out. We
simply raced on up the hall. Even
then there might have been a chance
of o%vertaking the creature if it had
not been for Hayward's interference.
He flung out of the door as we went
past and seized me by the shoulders.
Good God! Did you see it," he
cried. Didn't you see, man? 1t
went past my door,"
The candle light was on his face;
and the look was one not quickly
forgotten. His rudy color was
quite gone, and his eyes were chang
ed too. He clutched at US with
great, cold, frenzied hands.
But we shook loose and hurried on
down the corridor. There were unoc-
cupied rooms along it, many opening
and passages to the rear stairs and
from real doors into other corridors,
to the third floor. A window opened
to a little balcony at the end. We
looked about and whispered to each
other, and then went back for can
dies. We held them high and peered
in the corners and among the cur
tains. The elder Hayward kept close
behind us, uttering low, inarticulate
sentences not particularly worth list
ening to.
He had forgotten our scene in the
den a few hours before. His present
emotion left no room for remember
ed anger. 1t looked as if he were
trying to keep close to me.
"Did you see it-when it passed
my door," he was crying. "You
know what it is-just as | know,
too. There's no use of pretending
any more. 1t was there, and / saw
it, and so did you. And I'll leave
this house tomorrow" He seemed
to be talking to himself rather than
to us. eve can keep the arrange
ments we've got and Villas can tend
to 'em. I'll go tomorrow for good
and all! And Villas can stay with
his wench if he likes"
Ernest stopped beside him. eve
will remember that word-at a bet
ter time" he promised. Then he
whirled at me. "The things got
away-but this is one thing more /
want to do before / go to bed. /
want to look in Ahmad Da's room
just to see if he's in bed and as
- l. ---l4 - "