< Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 4).djvu
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1 struggles ol my companion only scemed to mfuriate the tigress stll more, and for o moment it was impossible for me to attempt (o rescue hime L odrew iy huntimg-knife, and when a favourable opportunity arrived funged at her as 1 othrew myself bodily upon the tigress, determined to save Denviers at all hazards. The fierce beast, recognising that her mjury had been inflicted by me, Teft my companion and, raising onc paw, dashed me headlong to the ground. In amoment she bounded heavily upon me as 1 lay there, her welght crushing and bruising me severely. Lmmediately afterwards Tofelt myvselt Tifted hodily from the ground, and the brute bhegan to carry me away to the cave into which we had been recently Tured by the treacherous fakir ! 1 made one supreme cffort to release mysell, and succeeded as T thought in domy so. for the tigress dropped me and bounded with a heree ery towards her lair, just as 1 heard the sharp ping of a bullet re- ceho through the stlent city. My companition rushed up, and, stoopimg over me, asked -

“ Harold, are yvou much hurt? I have shot the brute, she will never reach the cnd of her cave P ostag-

alnve ! cered to my feet, and, lookmg to- wards the anmmal’s Tar, saw the body of the tigress lying motionless with- m the entrance.

“Not badly,” I answered, texcept that cot sonmer pretty severe hruises in the encounter.” We rested quictly for several minutes ; then I ques- troned ;

“Irank, wherc

L way - of

CAWE O FOUND OUR FAITHEUL GUIDE BOUND HAND AND FOOT,

L1 NTRAND VW AGAZLINT.

15 Tassan concealed ? somechow!'’”

We must rescue him Denviers rose as he answered 1 —-

“ It 1s certan that he 1s hidden in one of these caves, very hikely where the fakir is now.”

“Then we must make a carcful scarch for him,” I responded : “ but this time we will Improvise some torches; so as to get a0 good view of these gloomy caverns before ventur- ing into another one of them.” We twisted together some of the tangled grass, and madc for the dircetion i which the fakir went, just when he saw that his cunningly contrived plot was apparently suceesstul.,

When we reached the turned to me and sd @ -

1 othink i would he a good plan to call out our gurde’s name from time to time, he may hear us, and unless he is oaveed will

ottoo

caves Doenviers

respond, and so Tead us to him T'o o this remark Ioreadily assented, and standing

before several of the caves which Tay closc together, my companion shouted s

“lassan !

To our great joy we heard the well-known vorce of the Arah answer us from o hctle distance. We shouted again, and, guided by his responses, found ourselves traversing onc of the caves, holding the blazing torches - our hands. Moving a heavy block of stone which barred the wav, we found our fathful guide Tving behind o, bound hand and foot.

“Allah bless the sahibs U7 he said, o his grave. Oriental wav o then his eyes fell upon our garments, which were ter- ribly rent after our encounter with the tgress. @ The sahibs have gone through pertl Lo rescue me, . he continucd, as Denviers speedily unbound him “ther slave will be ever faithiul to them.”

We had somc difficulty m getting Flassan from the cave, his limibs being swollen and painful, but at last we o cmerged and sought for somc | CUress other thun the one

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