The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-10-12
Chapter 81
TIGER. TleERis

@'@ Aa1%n&
r began 20 look az II even the bar.
: Ficade Of iTe would not much
longer hold the tiger back and to
ward dusk. working with feverish
haste. Bowers finished the deadfaIl
Cor the last time.
lie had slmplified Il somewhat
and there remained q twelveKoot
piece Of coconut stem Tor which
there vas no logical place in the
new design and no real need.
-where are yOu going to put that
piecey~ Ivy asked
The tiger Just beyond the line Of
IRE snarled az the sound OF her
voice. and Bowers answered:
= am NOT going to put It any.
where"
As ne SPOKE ne gave the big stick
. little push with his hand so that
q would fall away from him and al
the same moment. or almost the
sane moment. realized what an.
idiotic thing he had done and sprang
foF the falling timber in a vain ef-
fort 70 catch Il and keep Il from tall
fng.
The further end OF the timber
Gfazed the nearest o the three trig.
gers and the deadfaIl collapsed with
heavy crash. Bowers sprang back,
% be QUE Of danger. but not far
enough. MS head was merely
grazed. bat he feli as helpIessIy as
Que Of his own logs and lay uneon-
seious AZ ivy's feet.
During the long siege Ivy had
seemed cain and untroubled, but
her nervous system had been slow.
~ going 20 pieces. she perceived at
once that Bowers was not dead.
lnstlnct told her Immediately that
anless he came to quickly and was
abio 20 help himself. there was moth.
tng between him and death but her
self and the clumsy one-shot gun.
TIC barrier OF IRE which they had
made against the tiger was burning
low. The way to Bowers over the
fallen timbers OF the deadfaIl was
simple and direct.
Her mental processes at the mo-
mant were quick and cool. II the
tiger came 10 them q would be with
. Fush- Better. she thought. for her
% 80 20 him while the Gre still
burned and he still hesitated to al.
tack.
n the gun failed her. as Il prob
ably wOuia. the tiger. when be had
killed her. would for some time pay
no further attention 20 Bowers.
Bowers would have a chance TO
eome 70 and save himself.
-Yoa great. cowardly. skulklng
BEAST she said ana she stepped
from the last OF the fallen logs TO
nFm ground. separated from him by
no more than a dozen feet Afraid
Of little gre! don't see what am
doing with this gun. I could drive a
shing like yoa with a whip. wish
] bad my whip. I'd cut your hide to
.Fibhons!"
xVORDs angrily spoken might. she
W conserved. serve a little TO be
wilder the tiger. She kept the gun
pointed az him. and the hammer
stons ready 10 strike. II only be
wouidn't make a move until she was
within a few feet OF him.
% places the Gre was almost out.
She stepped across IT. and the
tensed muscles OF the tiger began to
QniEeF. He ives going TO spring.
she drew a long shivering breath
and biz her lips. Then with death
staring her IN the face. she sudden.
u smiled and in a loud voice began
20 repeat:
Tiger. tiger burning bright :. :"
She finished with a wild scream
% rage and fear. The tiger sprang.
end she struck the tring-pin OF the
xun with 3 hammer-stone. There was
q terrible defamation. She saw ten
thouaand stars.
When'fvy came 10. R was night
and = heavy weight was being iifLed
from her. Her brain began 10 clear
what happenedg" she asked
But Bowers. who was kneeling be
side her and feeling gingerly for
broken bones. did not answer.
~D0 you hurt much anywhereT
he asked.
-N0 no !" she said. mot par
tiCalaFly. But feel numb and prick
D."
she had reason TO feel that way
she had been lying under the body
Of a dead tiger Tor nearly two hours
Bowers lighted q match
IVY was ell a mess OF blood But II
was all tiger blood. She hadn't q
scratch. she had only one bad
hruise. This had been made by the
Fecoil % the gun. Her right shoulder