The Rajah's Fortress — page 190: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE RAJAH’S FORTRESS. 179 the conflict, simply contenting themselves with casting a few harmless spears. The uproar was by this time terrific, for the beasts in the other cages were howling in rage and fear. Still McGore waited, leaving Forbes to hold the other cords. One of the panther’s victims succeeded in crawling away, and was dragged out of the reach by hiscomrades. The other was long since beyond all help. Some one fired a shot, but it never touched the panther, and he kept on with his meal appar- ently undisturbed by the presence of so large an audience. The dacoits forgot the attack on the house in this new excitement, and came forward intent on killing the brute, not daring, however, to venture near enough for the purpose. No one cared to wound him by a misdirected shot, and in the darkness accurate aim was impossible. They had no suspicion of the real state of the case, but supposed the brute had broken his way out. “ Now give me the other cords,” said McGore. “Here goes for the tigers,” and he pulled the strings one after another. The smell of the fresh meat had roused all of these animals’ fierce instincts, and two of them bounded at once into the court and pounced down on the raw meat close beside the panther. COLUM 1OOO SS co