ALONE WITH A TIGER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2191, 24 July 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

ALONE WITH A TIGER.

When 'To Turn,' as I irreverently called our venerable butler, brought me my tea and, biscuits at six in the morning I had much to ask him, for £. and H. had gone off tiger hunting without waking me, probably thinking that the sight of them with two rifles in their hands and a tiger in the bush would be to* exciting ana tantalising for me. I found that Massa Sahibs had departed after a hearty breakfast, <a,pd had taken St John with them carrying a third gun, in case of .accidents 1 . A railway coolie reported distant shots, , heard about an hour after the Sahibs had left th* bungalow ; but nothing had since been heard of men or man-eater. ' You can open that blind, To Turn, said I, pointing to the windows looking towards the north, for I thought I should probably see the conquering heroes returning that way, covered with glory and thorn scratching. The butler had departed and left me to my , meditations, and good intention of performing my toilet and going to see what was doing on the line. I continued to lie, looking dreamily out of the window jalousie which To Turn had thrown back. It was not much of a view consisting only of a corner of the compound wall and the jungle beyond ; but a soft pinky haze beautified everything ; and, fanned by a most delicious cool breeze, I closed my eyes again, and dozed for a few minutes, utterly and blissfully ignorant that sudden death had just cleared that compound wall, and was making stealthily and warily straight for my open window. I heard — in a dream, as it were, so did not heed — a curious scratching noise, followed by soft limping footsteps across the verandah, then heavy breathing, almost gasping, which seemed so unpleasantly near, that I opened my eyes just in time to see his most serene highness the Bengal tiger throw himself in an utterly done-for condition by the side of my bed ? Here was a situation! My very marrow seemed to freeze in my bones, and every hair onj my head seemed alive With electrified fright. I lay a* still as a corpse, and in my heart thanked a considerate providence which had made the beaut turn its back to roe, instead of its villainous face, I was too paralysed even to tbink of what I could do to get out of the room, which, perhaps, was fortunate. The animal had evidently run far and fast, as ; its panting sides and foam-flaked- jaws plainly showed ; so there was just a feeble chance of its going to sleep, and then would be the time to cautiously escape. Its great murderous looking paws were stained with blood ; and, though I could see that one of them was wounded, the idea would take possession of my weak and agitated mind, that it was the blood of one of my companions, and not the tiger's own. Suddenly, to my horror, the brute lifted his head from its paws, pricked up its ears, and listened attentively. I also listened as well as I could ; b.ut every nerve was throbbing, and the sound in both ears was as the surging of stormy waves on a pebbly beach. I, too, however,, caught a distant "click," very faint and indistinct, and I could not make out what it was. The tiger again composed itself to sleep or watch ; it was impossible to see if its eyes were open or shut. After a lifetime of miserable sensations, 1 guessed, by the even rise and fall of its sides that it must be having what might not, be more than the proverbial forty winks ; so now* was my time or never ! Not once taking my eye off the object of my terror, J slipped out of the bed, which gave a gentle creak, that, to my fevered imagination sounded like a death knell. He did not move ! I wished I had more on, I felt so defenceless. I crept slowly to the door, not taking one foot off the ground till I had carefully steadied myself on both. I reached the only thing that divided me from comparative safety, softly turned the handle. The door was locked ! For one second I had taken my steady gaze from the sleeping brute ; when I looked . again, what a change ! Head thrown back, ears flat, eyes glaring savagely, , and flanks trembling and quivering" with the stealthy movement of an animal about to spring ! But not at me ! I followed the tiger's glance, and caught a glimpse of the barrel of a rifle, just one second — then a flash — a roar — a struggle— and I fell senseless on the floor. When I came to myself, I was lying wrapped in my dressing-gown on a sofa in the sitting-room. E. S. P. was kneeling beside me with a bottle of something in his hand, and H. F. was standing at my feet with, an expression of the greatest solicitude. " Don't talk just yet, old fellow," said he; "wait till you feel stronger, and we'll tell you all about it. By Jove ! you had a narrow escape." After a few minntes' quiet ray curiosity awoke in full force. •• Tell me," said I, " did you kill him straight off ?" *« 0 yes," answered E. S. P., " he's as dead as mutton. But we had no idea that you were there. To Turn told us that you had gone to the line ages ago ; and we tracked the brute through your open window, where he had taken refuge. H. wounded him in the off hind leg when we first got sight of him in the jungle, and instead of coming at us, he bolted." " Well," said I, shuddering at the recollection, 4< I really don't" think I am more cowardly than most people, but may I never spend such another mauvais quart d'heure. — Chambers' Jonrnal.