the visitors; "my boy is quite young, and isn't
much of a marksman; he thinks he hit the beast"--

"And I did too," interjected the lad, not pleased with this slur upon his
skill with the gun.

"Possibly he did; but he was not injured much."

"I am glad to learn that. The tiger is one of the most valuable animals we
have in the menagerie; I should be very sorry to lose him."

"But," interposed Aunt Cynthia, "it may become necessary to shoot him in
self-defense."

"Not likely; he is not apt to injure any one if he is let alone."

Tom had not forgotten the appalling stories told by Jim Travers on his
arrival from the exhibition.

"I heered he chawed up Sam Harper, Jack Habersham, Bill Dunham, and a
whole lot of folks that was at the circus."

The laughter of the two horsemen was hearty.

"Those youngsters are alive and well. The boy who punched the tiger in the
eye, and caused all this rumpus, was knocked down and scratched somewhat,
but not half as much as he deserved. No one else, so far as we can learn,
has been injured; though, as I remarked just now, Tippo Sahib will fight
if he is driven into a corner."

"He tried to jump through our window," said Aunt Cynthia.

"Before or after you fired at him?"

"Afterward."

"I suppose it was caused by the hullabaloo of the people, frightened out
of their wits. It is the same as when a hue and cry is raised about a dog.
If he isn't mad, he will soon become so. But, madam, we are very anxious
to secure the animal before he is killed or seriously injured. We will pay
a good reward for his recapture."

"How much?" asked Tom, to the surprise of his relatives.

"One hundred dollars to any one who will secure him without injury, or
fixes it so we can recapture him. May I ask where the tiger seemed to be
going when you last saw him?"

"The last we seen of him," replied Tom, "he was cutting 'cross the field
toward the woods over yonder."

Thanking the boy and the ladies for their information, the horsemen rode
off, soon disappearing up the highway.

The fact that these men, experienced in their knowledge of wild animals,
were searching for the escaped tiger, naturally lifted much of the fear of
the beast from the hearts of the Gordon family. They believed the keepers
would recapture him before he could do much harm in the community. They
were convinced, too, that they were not the only ones looking for him.

The shutters of all the windows were never more carefull