CHAPTER XV PRISONERS OF A WILD BEAST
As soon as they could do so the three cadets ran into the side door ofthe mansion. They found the girls on an upper landing, gazing downanxiously.
"Is the tiger coming?" called down Laura.
"Yes, he's in the kitchen," answered Jack.
"The kitchen!" gasped Mrs. Ford, who had come out of the library.
"Oh, save me, somebody!" came from the rear of the mansion, and thebutler appeared, with his hair almost on end. "A wild beast, mum--roamingthe pantry, mum," he spluttered.
"Better go upstairs, all of you," said Jack, as he heard the tiger leapupon a table.
"Dat's where I'm a-goin'," said the cook, and ran to the top of thehouse, followed by the butler, where both locked themselves in theirrooms.
The girls and Mrs. Ford were soon on the second floor of the mansion, andthe three cadets followed.
"Shut all of the doors tight, Mrs. Ford," said Jack. "For all we know, hemay take it into his head to come upstairs."
Following Jack's directions, the doors were closed, and the familygathered in a large room in the front of the mansion.
"Whatever are we to do?" questioned Laura, helplessly.
"Well, we can stay here," answered her sister. "That is what I am goingto do for the present."
"Where is Joseph?" asked Mrs. Ford. The man she mentioned was thegardener.
"He has gone to town to have the lawn mower repaired," answered Laura.She turned to Jack. "Oh, isn't this dreadful!"
"Have you got anything in the way of a gun or a pistol, Mrs. Ford?"questioned the young major.
"My husband keeps a pistol in his bedroom. I can get it for you."
"Please do so."
"Are you going to risk going after the tiger?" asked Andy.
"A pistol won't fetch him," put in Pepper. "He looks as tough as aboarding-house steak."
"I want to investigate, and I'll feel safer with the pistol," answeredJack.
The weapon was soon brought and the young major saw that it was ready foruse. It looked as if it might do considerable damage.
"Keep all the doors but this one shut," said Jack, and then tiptoed hisway into the hall once more. He looked down the stairs and along thelower hallway, but could see nothing of the tiger.
"How are you making out?" questioned Pepper, coming out behind him with abed slat.
"Don't see anything yet."
Andy came out into the hallway also, and the three listened intently. Allwas quiet outside and not a sound came from the lower floor of themansion.
"Perhaps he went outside again," whispered Andy. "It wouldn't be naturalfor him to stay indoors. Tigers love to roam the forest, and lay in waitfor----"
"I hear him!" interrupted Pepper. "Hark!"
All listened again, and now they could hear the creature moving from thekitchen into the library, and then to the parlor. A discord on the pianofollowed.
"Hullo, he is trying the piano!" cried Pepper, and grinned. "Maybe he'llplay us a waltz!"
From the parlor the tiger roamed into the library, and then showed hishead in the hallway for an instant. But before Jack could take aim thebeast had disappeared.
"He is making himself at home," muttered the young major. "Wish I couldget a chance at him."
"Here he comes again!" cried Pepper, and at that moment the tiger cameout into the hall and turned partly around.
Jack had his pistol ready, and taking a quick aim, he pulled the trigger.There was a flash and a report, in the semi-dark hallway, and the tigergave a snarl of pain. Then he glanced up the stairs, glared at thecadets, and came up four steps at a time.
"Into the room, quick!" yelled Jack, and blazed away twice in rapidsuccession. The tiger was struck in the fore leg, and came to a pauseclose to the top of the stairs. Jack fired one more shot, then followedhis chums into the room, and the door was closed and locked.
"Did you hit him?" queried several, in concert.
"I certainly did, but I don't know how badly he is wounded. Mrs. Ford,have you any cartridges for this pistol?"
"Yes," answered the lady of the mansion, and brought forth a box halffull. Without loss of time, Jack filled up the empty chambers of thepistol.
"He is snarling outside of the door!" cried Laura. "Oh, do you thinkhe'll try to break down the door?"
Before anybody could answer there came a wild snarl, and then a thump onthe barrier that almost took the door from its hinges.
"Better get into the next room," called out Pepper. "He'll break in hereif he can."
"Let us move the bed against the door," suggested Andy.
The bed was a large affair, of solid mahogany, and would prove anexcellent barrier, but before it could be rolled into position there camea crash, and the tiger's head appeared through a portion of one of thedoor panels.
Crack! crack! went the pistol in Jack's hand, and as quickly as he hadappeared the tiger disappeared, with a wound in the jaw and another alongthe left ear.
"Guess that will teach him to keep his distance," said the young major.
"He is going to the front of the house," cried Andy.
"The upper veranda! He is going out on the upper veranda!" cried Mrs.Ford.
"He'll come through the windows!" burst from Flossie's lips. "Let us goto another room, mamma!" And the girls and their mother did so. Andy andPepper looked inquiringly at Jack.
"A few more shots ought to make him tired of living," said the youngmajor.
"Let me try the pistol on him," came from Pepper, and having secured theweapon, he peeped out into the hallway. The tiger stood at the front end,gazing at the upper veranda and beyond.
Pepper was not an extra shot, but the bullet took the tiger in the lefthind knee, and made him utter a fierce snarl. He leaped out on theveranda, and then made another leap into the branches of a nearby tree.
"He has taken to the tree!"
"Let me give him a shot too," pleaded Andy, and having received thepistol, he awaited his opportunity, and blazed away, hitting the beast inthe side. There was a snarl, and the tiger fell to the grass, rollingover and over in evident pain.
"Good!" cried Jack. "That's one of the shots that told! Give him another,Andy!" and the cadet did so.
"What's all this shooting about?" came from the roadway, and Mr. Fordappeared, in company with his gardener. "Gracious! Where did that tigercome from?" he added.
"It's the one that got away from the circus the other day!" called downJack. "Look out, there may be some fight left in him yet, although wehave peppered him pretty well."
"Throw down the pistol and I'll finish him," said the gentleman.
"Let us finish him, won't you?" pleaded Pepper.
"All right, you can do so."
All three of the cadets went down the front stairs with a rush, while thegirls and Mrs. Ford came out on the upper balcony. Pepper fired one shot,Jack a second, and Andy a third. The last was too much for his tigership,and with a final quiver he rolled over, stretched out, and lay dead.
"Is he--he dead?" asked the gardener cautiously.
"I think so," answered Mr. Ford. "But don't go near him yet--he may beshamming."
They waited a few minutes, and then Jack went up carefully and made anexamination.
"Dead as a barn door!" he called out. "My, what a big fellow he is!"
"Are you certain he is dead?" faltered Laura.
"Yes," answered her father.
"Are there any more of them?"
"He is the only one that got loose," answered Pepper.
Thus assured, the girls and Mrs. Ford came downstairs, followed later bythe butler and the cook. The latter was still trembling.
"Thought we was goin' to be eat up suah!" said the cook.
"It was a great happening, sir," said the butler. "I can't abide wildbeasts, sir, not me!"
"You ought to have the skin of this tiger," said Jack to Mrs. Ford. "Itwould make a fine rug."
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bsp; "Yes, mamma, let us have the skin by all means," pleaded Laura. "We canhave it fixed up with the head on, and it will look beautiful!"
"I'll have to see the circus people about it," came from Mr. Ford. "Tellme how he happened to come here." And then all told their stories, towhich the gentleman listened closely.
"I'm so glad these young men were here," said Mrs. Ford. "Had we beenalone, I do not know what might have happened."
The tiger was dragged to a carriage shed by the gardener and the boys,and then the cook was sent off to get dinner ready. It was found thatoutside of eating up some steaks, drinking a pan of milk, and breaking afew dishes, the tiger had done no damage. Every bullet aimed at him hadtaken effect, and there were also two old wounds on him, in the leg andside.
"He must have gotten these old wounds when he leaped into the lake," saidMrs. Ford. "But it was a mistake to report him drowned."
"I don't know as I ever want to meet another tiger at large," said Andy."They are too dangerous!"
"Yes, Snow," answered Mr. Ford. "You can all be thankful that he did notget at you. If he had, he might have made mince-meat of one or another inno time."