John Gayther's Garden and the Stories Told Therein

the garden together, for her quick eye had detected much that needed attention. Some things she h

ed that, as mistress, she ought to do as she pleased; and she reasoned that, as he had learned the business

tress had not been there for some time. "A great many pears, John," she commented as

y are not always falling in one's way; and these are choic

ess. Then aloud: "My daughter brought me a luscious one yesterd

ntly, "I hope she's goin' to pick t

the Mistress, as they turned to go up into the ga

a profusion of red tassels. And here there came to them an almost overpowering fragrance; for on the terrace above were great beds of lilies, now in their glory-lilies from many climes, lilies of many hues: great white spi

t it with delight and a good deal of pride, f

sposed in various comfortable positions about the little s

Daughter of the House, and, therefore, a frequent visitor. The nearest house was not in sight, but it could be reached in a moderate walk. Its mistress was a young married woman, very pretty to look at and of a lively turn of mind. She waved he

r the Frenchman's story. He had no fancy for the man, and he did not believe he would fancy his story. "Excuse me," he said

d," said the Master of the Hous

n horror. "He will tra

t waiting for John to give the order, he called o

r had the Frenchman uttered a few sentences than he brightened up, and not only listened attentively but put

taken himself to the grassy mo

together. I am expert in many kinds of sports, and it pleases me much, when engaged in such recreations, to employ my mind as well as my body,

oor sports which are so fascinating to me; it is often that she does this merely by sympathy. She can remain at home and think of me in the field or on the stream, and be happy. When I return she welcomes,

oon to hunt tigers. She was then at my side, for there was no other place where she would have been satisfi

able, to shoot at these savage creatures from a balloon. This would be an exhilarating sensation, and it would be safe. In no other

There, with his rifle, he sat comfortably in a chair, with a lantern on a table near by. When, at night, the tigers cro

orts to reach my height. Therefore it was that I determined to hunt my tigers in a balloon. Irene screamed when I mentioned this plan, but she did not ref

alloon. This was a captive balloon not employed for independent ascensions, and from some of the officers, who were my friends, I procured it for my pr

provisions, and various necessities, and its lifting power was so proportioned to the wei

st to a river; and here, I was told, tigers were often to be found, sometimes crossing the open country to slake their thirst at the stream, but

y natives, active and strong, who ran along, pulling the balloon above them. It was the most comfortable method of progression that I had ever known. There were no jars, scarcely any sense of motion. The great overhanging balloon shelt

soil, about half-way between the water and the jungle, so that we might be moored at a proper distance above the ground. There was no wind; the balloon hung almost motionless. It had been

was of the most improved pattern. We had another one in case of emergencies. We sat and looked

-half a tiger. In the bright sunlight we could see it plainly. It had been roused by the noise of the pounding, and was gazing out to see what was the matter. With one united scream, the natives shot away. They scattered; they disappeared utterly and at once. Wher

at we could see him clearly; then he walked to

n did not attach the rope; and we may drift away from him, perh

wait: and if we do drift across the river

but the balloon did not

on to the escaping natives: he was giving his mind entirely to our balloon. He looked up at us, and he looked down at th

a long tiger, and very thin; his flabby flanks seemed to indicate that he was hungry. Suddenly he gave a quick bound; he ceased to regard the balloon; his eyes were fixed upon th

he lower end of it move more quickly on the ground. The tiger gave a jump, with his eyes on the rope

touch the rope! Do not touch it again!' Oh, the recklessness, the unthinking

gave a powerful jump backward. Oh, what a jerk, what a shock! It was worse than an earthquake. It was like a great throb from the heart of the tiger to the heart of the man

or paw over paw. He is only playing. The rope amuses him. And we need not speak i

but she lacks that prudent hesitancy which so

this was surely a good time. Everything had come so suddenly th

ene. I was becoming calmer. He looked up at us with an ai

of the car and pointed it downward. I aimed it between his great, earnest eyes, into the very midd

n into his savage, blazing eyes. Roar after roar came up; he sprang from side to side; his tail stiffened and curled, and when he opened his vast mo

how he bounds! He cannot be hurt. It must be dif

t awful beast in some vital part. She took a long, deliber

you hit him. Truly, m

ow he has stopped to lick it with his tongue. I

g upward. It was heart-sickening as his great form, with its yellow skin and black stripes, his blazing eyes, his flashing teeth, and his outspread

not hit him. I had never practised shooting at things almost beneath me; the slightest motion of Irene disturbed my aim. The report seemed to infuriate the tiger until h

made no sound; he shut his mouth; he partly shut his eyes, but t

a good time to take an

pward. A wandering cloud was slowly moving under the sun. Then I looked down. The tiger's yellow was not so bright, his black stripes were not so clear and sharp-cut, and, more than that, he w

ot far from the tiger; but he did not move; with his green eyes fixed upon the car, he watched it slowly descend. The rifle had relieved it of a little of its weight, but the middle of the cloud was thicker than its edge. Th

ith a red tongue and flashing teeth waiting within. The green eyes gleamed with t

a tremor ran through the whole body of the crouching beast; even his tail trembled like a feather in the w

that we should descend sufficiently low, he would hurl himse

thing could be done, it must be done in the

dge; hold by the ropes. I will do the same. At the moment I give the word you must jump. Bot

pward, his fore paws, bristling with claws, stretche

, master of myself, and the tiger was not there. I looked upward. The great beast was drawing up his hind legs and was climbing into the car, and there was I

weight the balloon was slowly going upward. I clasped my hands, I gasped for breath. If I should call to Irene to jump now she would be dashed to pieces, the car

h so that she might safely drop; but if I did that the tiger mi

sidering such an alternative. To meet him here upon the ground, in this awful solitude! To die together, but not in each other's arms; to perish

altogether. I could not. The soul of the husband asserted itself. The cloud had now passed from the face of the sun

; at any moment she might fall. Then my quick glance sought the tiger. He was in the car, his great head and two front paws hanging over the edge; his green eyes were steadily fixed on me. Just then Irene, evidently unable to hold any longer to the ropes, gave herself a de

till glared down upon me. It was too far for him to jump; he knew that i

nd degrees of fierceness, who, having fallen into a pit together, did not attack each other, but remained as gentle as sheep, being cowed by their fear. Plainly

ng up his hind legs and w

y, for fear she might startle the black-and-yellow beast. How I longed to hear her dear words, perhaps her last! Mayhap she was bidding me a fond fare

d her anxieties and her miseries-I might say our miseries; for if the tiger should follow her he, too, would be killed. I should be left to weep over my dearest, the joy of my life and my he

he tiger. The two heads were not far from each other; they were both regarding m

e river. I plunged, I bounded, I made such great haste that sometimes I stumbled over obstacles,

stop and look up. They were both still gazing over the

ers. I was not afraid; I am a good swimmer. Irene now called down to me. It was plain she was becoming reckless; she would know what I was going to do, no matter what effect her wor

And as I looked upward her eyes and thos

be the judge of that-I will give you the word; then you must jump. It will not hurt you; the water will break your fall, and I will save you. Think of nothing else but your trust in me, and

ich surrounds it; then quickly appeared the other foot upon the edge of the car. She raised both arms and joi

s a splendid dive. Relieved of her weight, the b

oothly as if she had been a diving duck. She scar

ich I could not expect to see her in glancing upward. The tiger was rising rapidly. His head was str

d woman! In a few moments we stood beside each other on the shore. I would have thrown myself into her arms; I would have embraced this dear one, now

azing at me. Then we heard a sound which came down from above. It was the tiger's roar, but it was such a little roar! I clasped more tightly the hand of my Irene; we did not speak, but gazed steadily

a little black spot in the sky; then it faded and shivered, and was g

I owed it to my love of her to know the extent of her love for me. Those words which she called

d ready, I would jerk open the safety-valve. I would then take up my rifle, and when t

beauty of the flower and the intellect of the leaf. To let that awful black-and-yellow fiend descend to the earth! To call up

the river, we toiled homewa

nts and wild beasts, but there were no comments upon the story itself. Each one had his or her own thought, however. The Master of the House thought: "What a clever woman!" The Mistress of the House thought: "Just like a Frenchman!" The Next Neighbor wished she

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