Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 373: what you’re looking at

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

364 toid so-lightly and laughingly as to rob it of any trace of egotism. “ Here- after we may expect to see long lines of beaters file through the jungle armed with red umbrellas, and flaming cotton stockades about the villages.” There was some discussion as to the identity of this particular beast, but it was generally allowed to be the same we had been hunting, if for no other reason than to turn the joke against ourselves, the empty handed Nimrods. We started back to town and joking- ly made a great show of surrounding the car as a protection on every side. But it turned out to be no joke. When half way back (the major and myself riding beside the car) there arose af- frighted cries ahead, and the leaders of the cavalcade came tumbling back upon us in the wildest fear. J The major and I dashed to the front. There, in the middle of the road, stood his kingship, glaring at the procession with blazing eyes. We flung ourselves from our horses, unslung our rifles and He had been creeping slowly toward us; now, he sprang at me just as the major’s rifle cracked. The bullet could not stop his ad- vance. I felt a terrific shock as the tiger fell at my feet with outstretched claws. One paw dug into my neck as he descended, and tore down over THE ARGOSY. my breast: deep through the clothing and into the flesh, pulling me down with terrific force upon his own body. I sprang to my feet and saw that he lay dead. The major’s shot, true to the mark between the eyes, had caught him in mid air. As he lay there the type of ferocious beauty and brute power, we all mar- veled that such a magnificent beast should have been frightened off by a mere parasol, even though it flamed like the fires of A«tna. We were met at the edge of the town by a piece of news that went far to ex- plain this improbability. He had satis- fied his hunger on a low caste Brah- min only an hour previous to the road side encounter with the ladies. The major claimed the skin, and no one thought of denying it to him. But he only wanted it to present to Belle, and as they were married the following year, he got it back again. My sister, however, backed by all her friends, made a demand on Miss Blithe- dale for the cherry parasol, and she has it yet, as her peculiar trophy. Indeed, Miss B. was quite resigned to parting with it, as she at the same time procured a substitute in a gay scar- let jacket that covered the noble form of Lieutenant the Honorable Algernon Binks, H. M., 97th Fusiliers. THE SILENT WOODS. THE lone abode of Twilight and Repose Is this deep forest of my western land. In the eternal hush the slim ferns stand; Above, the cedar and the hemlock doze In velvet robes of green the dank moss throws From mighty bough to bough; on either hand Time’s drapery shrouds all, and weirdly grand Are these dim aisles the sunshine never knows. The frail white lilies glimmer in the gloom Like feeble stars within the thicket’s night, Or slender tapers which the wood nymphs keep Faint burning in each close, dusk haunted room That their wan glow, perchance, may serve to light The feet of Silence through the balls of Sleep. Frerbert Bashfora. ECOMnicooOolkKks.com