Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-01-08

eate- had SUNK Off his tail between
his legs, ashamed that Mr.. Green had
seen into his savage heart.
Suddenly, in the now fast gathering
darkness. there rose on the quiet air
the long drawn out banshee- like
scream with which London had be-
come SO dreadfully familiar over long
months. but which had not sounded,
now. for long time.
Raiah lcart down from his ledge.
and looked iruuirinclv at Jezebel. Al
wavS, when they had heard these dis
turbing Sounds. they hal gone under
cover, and it was plain he thought
they ought to do 50 now But Ra jah's
mate felt wide awake. and even more
restless than before. SO she stayed
where she was and he went off and
crouched down in a corner.
She could still see his eyes fixed on
her. and she remembered how, now
and again, some human being while
gazing at her mate would declaim:
Tiger. tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night.
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame they fearful SYM
metry?"
All at once there came thunderous
sound! 1t sounded much nearer than
anything of the kind Rajah had al
ways declared to be clap of thunder.
Then, also, began an insistent and
ominous droning just over the ZOO.
What could be going on up there. in
the starlit sky? Were there flying
tigers who lived in the moon, which
Mr.. Green had once explained some
human beings believed was the cats
heaven?
A strange looking object floated
slowly down out of the sky, whistling
as it floated and. a moment later.
half the Gardens were brilliantly il
Illuminated as by a huge white light.
Two frightened angry roars from
next door broke on the still air. No
doubt Jane and Jupiter were calling
out to Mr. and Mrs. Vic Oliver to
come and take care of them, thought
Jezebel scoffingly.
She listened intently, filled. for the
first time in her strong proud life,
with a dread of she knew not what.
And then she heard stealthy foot
steps hurrying along, and she saw
dimly outlined against the white light,
a number of men in tin hats. She
heard what Mr.. Green called Mr..
Lollys company voice eXclaim. II
think you had better stand just here,
sir!" There followed, barked out in
somewhat quavering tones, Fancy be-
ginning tiger-shooting again at my
age. eh?"
Now fear and Jezebel had never
met But Fear and Jezebel met now.
She stood still, her four feet feeling
as if turned into lead. She was not
afraid of the raid she knew was about
to start over the 200, but she was
horribly afraid of the hard-hearted
old sportsman, the "crackshot," who
was lying in wait for her man-eating
mate.
But for some minutes nothing hap
pened, and Jezebel had time to grieve
that she had not been kinder to her
devoted unselfish Rajah. Flirting had
never been Jezebel's specially. She
had always felt bored when it came to
real love-making.
Rajah padded across. and pressed
himself close to her. In their jungle
language he said anxiously, Surely
we ought to go under Govern"
But she shook her head. Poor Zeze-
bel-and it was the first time such a
word as poor, could have been applied
to this naughty creature-had Mr..
Green been there, she would have
willingly allowed him to lock them
into their sleeping quarters. But Mr..
Green was not there, and the in
stinct which had always tried to keep
her in the open air even during the
distant raids over London, was
stronger than ever tonight. Besides,
the cage burst open-if they ever did
she knew that once the iron doors of
her mate would be out in a flash, q
sure mark for the old crackshot.
All the same, her coat remained as