UNCOVERING THE TIGER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3194, 23 September 1881, Page 4

UNCOVERING THE TIGER.

(Ame'icau paper.^

Here on the edge of this field rests a brigade of infantry, drawn up in line of battle facing to the north-west. Where i? the enemy ? The wide field is clear of everything but fences. Away to the left is rolling ground, covered here and there with trees, and here a house or barn. Away to the right is *he same landscape. The brigade has been detached from its division and marched to the spot by the left flank— for what ? Men ask this to themselves as they look to the right and leffc. Fighting is going on behind them, but what chance here for charge and counter-charge and death or glory ? There is one single chance. War is sometimes a lion, roaring defiance, and boldly showing its teeth and claws in the open field at noonday. Again it is a tiger, biding in the forest and thicket, and slyly dragging its sinewy length along tbe dark ravines and past dense thickets. When the tiger skulks and hides the hunter must beat the bush until he is uncovered. The brigade represents the hunter—the dark forest for a mile in front; is the lair of the tiger—the hiding place of the poisonous serpent. See now! A battery openß at a long range on the tiger's cover. There is no target. Shells are sent to the right—to the left—straight at the front. They are sent to provoke the tiger into betraying his exact whereabouts. Boom ! boom ! boom ! You can trace the wicked shrieks of each shell clear across the field and into the woods, where scream and shriek are suddenly merged into an explosion which cuts off the branches like pipe-stems and splinters trunks which have defied the thunderbolts for years.

Is the tiger there ? If so he is hiding and biding. The shells bring a wicked gleam to his eyes, and his long sharp fangs are uncovered, but he is not ready to break cover. Ife purrs like a cat as he moves here and there, and there is danger in his muttered growl as his eyep catch glimpses of the double line half a mile away.

L'-ok again ! '.i'hev are jroing to tempt tha tiger with fle-li and blood ! At the •to.*.- b! = -tn-lre-J m"n no near in front of the li••...•■> nnd g.i rdunTving aero-* the field wifch their musket* at a trnii. The tiger might have had cover from the shells bufc these ukirai-'iers will shy him out.

flush ! Every eye is upon the long, thin line as ifc moves forward. Every horse in the battery has his head toward the lair of the tiger and his eyes upon the hunters. There is no movement in tho line of battle —no words of command from the officers.

Ifc is a gentle descent clear to the edge of the forest, and every man in the brigade can follow every step of the skirmish line. Ifc halts beside a * fence, and the obstruction is levelled to tbe ground as if by magic. Leffc oblique—right oblique —forward! Now the line is broken — now it is dreßsed — now it halts —now ifc moves forward at a faster pace. There is something in the sight of men going down to bait the tiger of war which send a chill through the blood of the oldest Teteran.

Hist! The line is within pistol shot of the woods! It spreads to the right and leffc until the hundred men cover the same front aa a wJaole brigade, and then tho line advances. Here is a bait for the tiger. His red lips part and show his horrible fangs, but he does not move. His growl is low and deep, bufc it does reach the ears of the hunter.

Carefully now! A hundred pairs of eyes are peering into the woods — a hundred pairs of feet are advancing with slow step. The hidden tiger will demand blood when he breaks cover. Foot by foot —foot by foot—and the line is almost absorbed in the deep shadow which stretches along the front of the forest like a black bell. —a shadow of death. Here on the front of the brigade men's faces grow pale wifch suppressed excitement. Not an eye leaves the situation for an instant. The neigh of a horse would give 4000 men a sudden start.

Now the skirmish line fades into the shadow —now it is lost in the woods. See ! hark ! first a sheet of flame, then a crash of musketry, and the brigade line of battle is suddenly broken as men realise that the tiger of war has made its spring.

Crash ! crash ! crash! Sheets of dark red flame jump over that dark shadow in a thousand places, and the gaunt tiger rends quivering flesh with his claws, and drinks rich blood wifch a horrible gurgle in his throat. Porward the brigade—back the skirmish line. The tiger has been uncovered —now to slay him. On, on—back, back, until the grand line of battle meets and absorbs what the tiger spared in hiß spring until it .weeps over the torn fragments of the tiger's feast —until it looks into the glaring eyes of the enraged beast and grapples wifch Mm in a struggle which covers acres of ground with the horrible detyU of the bloody w«r,