initial commit of ebook 12128HEADmain

1 files changed, 512 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/12128-0.txt b/12128-0.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..28990bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/12128-0.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,512 @@
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12128 ***
+
+THE LADY OF THE BARGE
+
+AND OTHER STORIES
+
+By W. W. Jacobs
+
+
+
+
+A TIGER'S SKIN
+
+
+The travelling sign-painter who was repainting the sign of the
+"Cauliflower" was enjoying a well-earned respite from his labours.  On
+the old table under the shade of the elms mammoth sandwiches and a large
+slice of cheese waited in an untied handkerchief until such time as his
+thirst should be satisfied.  At the other side of the table the oldest
+man in Claybury, drawing gently at a long clay pipe, turned a dim and
+regretful eye up at the old signboard.
+
+"I've drunk my beer under it for pretty near seventy years," he said,
+with a sigh.  "It's a pity it couldn't ha' lasted my time."
+
+The painter, slowly pushing a wedge of sandwich into his mouth, regarded
+him indulgently.
+
+"It's all through two young gentlemen as was passing through 'ere a month
+or two ago," continued the old man; "they told Smith, the landlord,
+they'd been looking all over the place for the 'Cauliflower,' and when
+Smith showed 'em the sign they said they thought it was the 'George the
+Fourth,' and a very good likeness, too."
+
+The painter laughed and took another look at the old sign; then, with the
+nervousness of the true artist, he took a look at his own.  One or two
+shadows--
+
+He flung his legs over the bench and took up his brushes.  In ten minutes
+the most fervent loyalist would have looked in vain for any resemblance,
+and with a sigh at the pitfalls which beset the artist he returned to his
+interrupted meal and hailed the house for more beer.
+
+"There's nobody could mistake your sign for anything but a cauliflower,"
+said the old man; "it looks good enough to eat."
+
+The painter smiled and pushed his mug across the table.  He was a tender-
+hearted man, and once--when painting the sign of the "Sir Wilfrid
+Lawson"--knew himself what it was to lack beer.  He began to discourse on
+art, and spoke somewhat disparagingly of the cauliflower as a subject.
+With a shake of his head he spoke of the possibilities of a spotted cow
+or a blue lion.
+
+"Talking of lions," said the ancient, musingly, "I s'pose as you never
+'eard tell of the Claybury tiger?  It was afore your time in these parts,
+I expect."
+
+The painter admitted his ignorance, and, finding that the allusion had no
+reference to an inn, pulled out his pipe and prepared to listen.
+
+"It's a while ago now," said the old man, slowly, "and the circus the
+tiger belonged to was going through Claybury to get to Wickham, when,
+just as they was passing Gill's farm, a steam-ingine they 'ad to draw
+some o' the vans broke down, and they 'ad to stop while the blacksmith
+mended it.  That being so, they put up a big tent and 'ad the circus
+'ere.
+
+"I was one o' them as went, and I must say it was worth the money, though
+Henry Walker was disappointed at the man who put 'is 'ead in the lion's
+mouth.  He said that the man frightened the lion first, before 'e did it.
+
+"It was a great night for Claybury, and for about a week nothing else was
+talked of.  All the children was playing at being lions and tigers and
+such-like, and young Roberts pretty near broke 'is back trying to see if
+he could ride horseback standing up.
+
+"It was about two weeks after the circus 'ad gone when a strange thing
+'appened: the big tiger broke loose.  Bill Chambers brought the news
+first, 'aving read it in the newspaper while 'e was 'aving his tea.  He
+brought out the paper and showed us, and soon after we 'eard all sorts o'
+tales of its doings.
+
+"At first we thought the tiger was a long way off, and we was rather
+amused at it.  Frederick Scott laughed 'imself silly a'most up 'ere one
+night thinking 'ow surprised a man would be if 'e come 'ome one night and
+found the tiger sitting in his armchair eating the baby.  It didn't seem
+much of a laughing matter to me, and I said so; none of us liked it, and
+even Sam Jones, as 'ad got twins for the second time, said 'Shame!'
+But Frederick Scott was a man as would laugh at anything.
+
+"When we 'eard that the tiger 'ad been seen within three miles of
+Claybury things began to look serious, and Peter Gubbins said that
+something ought to be done, but before we could think of anything to do
+something 'appened.
+
+"We was sitting up 'ere one evening 'aving a mug o' beer and a pipe--same
+as I might be now if I'd got any baccy left--and talking about it, when
+we 'eard a shout and saw a ragged-looking tramp running toward us as 'ard
+as he could run.  Every now and then he'd look over 'is shoulder and give
+a shout, and then run 'arder than afore.
+
+"'It's the tiger!' ses Bill Chambers, and afore you could wink a'most he
+was inside the house, 'aving first upset Smith and a pot o' beer in the
+doorway.
+
+"Before he could get up, Smith 'ad to wait till we was all in.  His
+langwidge was awful for a man as 'ad a license to lose, and everybody
+shouting 'Tiger!' as they trod on 'im didn't ease 'is mind.  He was
+inside a'most as soon as the last man, though, and in a flash he 'ad the
+door bolted just as the tramp flung 'imself agin it, all out of breath
+and sobbing 'is hardest to be let in.
+
+"'Open the door,' he ses, banging on it.
+
+"'Go away,' ses Smith.
+
+"'It's the tiger,' screams the tramp; 'open the door.'
+
+"'You go away,' ses Smith, 'you're attracting it to my place; run up the
+road and draw it off.'"
+
+"Just at that moment John Biggs, the blacksmith, come in from the
+taproom, and as soon as he 'eard wot was the matter 'e took down Smith's
+gun from behind the bar and said he was going out to look after the
+wimmen and children.
+
+"'Open the door,' he ses.
+
+"He was trying to get out and the tramp outside was trying to get in,
+but Smith held on to that door like a Briton.  Then John Biggs lost 'is
+temper, and he ups with the gun--Smith's own gun, mind you--and fetches
+'im a bang over the 'ead with it.  Smith fell down at once, and afore we
+could 'elp ourselves the door was open, the tramp was inside, and John
+Biggs was running up the road, shouting 'is hardest.
+
+"We 'ad the door closed afore you could wink a'most, and then, while the
+tramp lay in a corner 'aving brandy, Mrs. Smith got a bowl of water and a
+sponge and knelt down bathing 'er husband's 'ead with it.
+
+"'Did you see the tiger?' ses Bill Chambers.
+
+"'See it?' ses the tramp, with a shiver.  'Oh, Lord!'
+
+"He made signs for more brandy, and Henery Walker, wot was acting as
+landlord, without being asked, gave it to 'im.
+
+"'It chased me for over a mile,' ses the tramp; 'my 'eart's breaking.'
+
+"He gave a groan and fainted right off.  A terrible faint it was, too,
+and for some time we thought 'ed never come round agin.  First they
+poured brandy down 'is throat, then gin, and then beer, and still 'e
+didn't come round, but lay quiet with 'is eyes closed and a horrible
+smile on 'is face.
+
+"He come round at last, and with nothing stronger than water, which Mrs.
+Smith kept pouring into 'is mouth.  First thing we noticed was that the
+smile went, then 'is eyes opened, and suddenly 'e sat up with a shiver
+and gave such a dreadful scream that we thought at first the tiger was on
+top of us.
+
+"Then 'e told us 'ow he was sitting washing 'is shirt in a ditch, when he
+'eard a snuffling noise and saw the 'ead of a big tiger sticking through
+the hedge the other side.  He left 'is shirt and ran, and 'e said that,
+fortunately, the tiger stopped to tear the shirt to pieces, else 'is last
+hour would 'ave arrived.
+
+"When 'e 'ad finished Smith went upstairs and looked out of the bedroom
+winders, but 'e couldn't see any signs of the tiger, and 'e said no doubt
+it 'ad gone down to the village to see wot it could pick up, or p'raps it
+'ad eaten John Biggs.
+
+"However that might be, nobody cared to go outside to see, and after it
+got dark we liked going 'ome less than ever.
+
+"Up to ten o'clock we did very well, and then Smith began to talk about
+'is license.  He said it was all rubbish being afraid to go 'ome, and
+that, at any rate, the tiger couldn't eat more than one of us, and while
+'e was doing that there was the chance for the others to get 'ome safe.
+Two or three of 'em took a dislike to Smith that night and told 'im so.
+
+"The end of it was we all slept in the tap-room that night.  It seemed
+strange at first, but anything was better than going 'ome in the dark,
+and we all slept till about four next morning, when we woke up and found
+the tramp 'ad gone and left the front door standing wide open.
+
+"We took a careful look-out, and by-and-by first one started off and then
+another to see whether their wives and children 'ad been eaten or not.
+Not a soul 'ad been touched, but the wimmen and children was that scared
+there was no doing anything with 'em.  None o' the children would go to
+school, and they sat at 'ome all day with the front winder blocked up
+with a mattress to keep the tiger out.
+
+"Nobody liked going to work, but it 'ad to be done and as Farmer Gill
+said that tigers went to sleep all day and only came out toward evening
+we was a bit comforted.  Not a soul went up to the 'Cauliflower' that
+evening for fear of coming 'ome in the dark, but as nothing 'appened that
+night we began to 'ope as the tiger 'ad travelled further on.
+
+"Bob Pretty laughed at the whole thing and said 'e didn't believe there
+was a tiger; but nobody minded wot 'e said, Bob Pretty being, as I've
+often told people, the black sheep o' Claybury, wot with poaching and,
+wot was worse, 'is artfulness.
+
+"But the very next morning something 'appened that made Bob Pretty look
+silly and wish 'e 'adn't talked quite so fast; for at five o'clock
+Frederick Scott, going down to feed 'is hins, found as the tiger 'ad been
+there afore 'im and 'ad eaten no less than seven of 'em.  The side of the
+hin-'ouse was all broke in, there was a few feathers lying on the ground,
+and two little chicks smashed and dead beside 'em.
+
+"The way Frederick Scott went on about it you'd 'ardly believe.  He said
+that Govinment 'ud 'ave to make it up to 'im, and instead o' going to
+work 'e put the two little chicks and the feathers into a pudding basin
+and walked to Cudford, four miles off, where they 'ad a policeman.
+
+"He saw the policeman, William White by name, standing at the back door
+of the 'Fox and Hounds' public house, throwing a 'andful o' corn to the
+landlord's fowls, and the first thing Mr. White ses was, 'it's off my
+beat,' he ses.
+
+"'But you might do it in your spare time, Mr. White,' ses Frederick
+Scott.  It's very likely that the tiger'll come back to my hin 'ouse for
+the rest of 'em, and he'd be very surprised if 'e popped 'is 'ead in and
+see you there waiting for 'im.'
+
+"He'd 'ave reason to be,' ses Policeman White, staring at 'im.
+
+"'Think of the praise you'd get,' said Frederick Scott, coaxing like.
+
+"'Look 'ere,' ses Policeman White, 'if you don't take yourself and that
+pudding basin off pretty quick, you'll come along o' me, d'ye see?
+You've been drinking and you're in a excited state.'
+
+"He gave Frederick Scott a push and follered 'im along the road, and
+every time Frederick stopped to ask 'im wot 'e was doing of 'e gave 'im
+another push to show 'im.
+
+"Frederick Scott told us all about it that evening, and some of the
+bravest of us went up to the 'Cauliflower' to talk over wot was to be
+done, though we took care to get 'ome while it was quite light.  That
+night Peter Gubbins's two pigs went.  They were two o' the likeliest pigs
+I ever seed, and all Peter Gubbins could do was to sit up in bed
+shivering and listening to their squeals as the tiger dragged 'em off.
+Pretty near all Claybury was round that sty next morning looking at the
+broken fence.  Some of them looked for the tiger's footmarks, but it was
+dry weather and they couldn't see any.  Nobody knew whose turn it would
+be next, and the most sensible man there, Sam Jones, went straight off
+'ome and killed his pig afore 'e went to work.
+
+"Nobody knew what to do; Farmer Hall said as it was a soldier's job, and
+'e drove over to Wickham to tell the police so, but nothing came of it,
+and that night at ten minutes to twelve Bill Chambers's pig went.  It was
+one o' the biggest pigs ever raised in Claybury, but the tiger got it off
+as easy as possible.  Bill 'ad the bravery to look out of the winder when
+'e 'eard the pig squeal, but there was such a awful snarling noise that
+'e daresn't move 'and or foot.
+
+"Dicky Weed's idea was for people with pigs and such-like to keep 'em in
+the house of a night, but Peter Gubbins and Bill Chambers both pointed
+out that the tiger could break a back door with one blow of 'is paw, and
+that if 'e got inside he might take something else instead o' pig.  And
+they said that it was no worse for other people to lose pigs than wot it
+was for them.
+
+"The odd thing about it was that all this time nobody 'ad ever seen the
+tiger except the tramp and people sent their children back to school agin
+and felt safe going about in the daytime till little Charlie Gubbins came
+running 'ome crying and saying that 'e'd seen it.  Next morning a lot
+more children see it and was afraid to go to school, and people began to
+wonder wot 'ud happen when all the pigs and poultry was eaten.
+
+"Then Henery Walker see it.  We was sitting inside 'ere with scythes, and
+pitchforks, and such-like things handy, when we see 'im come in without
+'is hat.  His eyes were staring and 'is hair was all rumpled.  He called
+for a pot o' ale and drank it nearly off, and then 'e sat gasping and
+'olding the mug between 'is legs and shaking 'is 'ead at the floor till
+everybody 'ad left off talking to look at 'im.
+
+"'Wot's the matter, Henery?' ses one of 'em.
+
+"'Don't ask me,' ses Henery Walker, with a shiver.
+
+"'You don't mean to say as 'ow you've seen the tiger?"  ses Bill
+Chambers.
+
+"Henery Walker didn't answer 'im.  He got up and walked back'ards and
+for'ards, still with that frightened look in 'is eyes, and once or twice
+'e give such a terrible start that 'e frightened us 'arf out of our wits.
+Then Bill Chambers took and forced 'im into a chair and give 'im two o'
+gin and patted 'im on the back, and at last Henery Walker got 'is senses
+back agin and told us 'ow the tiger 'ad chased 'im all round and round
+the trees in Plashett's Wood until 'e managed to climb up a tree and
+escape it.  He said the tiger 'ad kept 'im there for over an hour, and
+then suddenly turned round and bolted off up the road to Wickham.
+
+"It was a merciful escape, and everybody said so except Sam Jones, and 'e
+asked so many questions that at last Henery Walker asked 'im outright if
+'e disbelieved 'is word.
+
+"'It's all right, Sam,' ses Bob Pretty, as 'ad come in just after Henery
+Walker.  'I see 'im with the tiger after 'im.'
+
+"'Wot?' ses Henery, staring at him.
+
+"'I see it all, Henery,' ses Bob Pretty, 'and I see your pluck.  It was
+all you could do to make up your mind to run from it.  I believe if you'd
+'ad a fork in your 'and you'd 'ave made a fight for it."
+
+"Everybody said 'Bravo!'; but Henery Walker didn't seem to like it at
+all.  He sat still, looking at Bob Pretty, and at last 'e ses, 'Where was
+you?' 'e s,es.
+
+"'Up another tree, Henery, where you couldn't see me,' ses Bob Pretty,
+smiling at 'im.
+
+"Henery Walker, wot was drinking some beer, choked a bit, and then 'e put
+the mug down and went straight off 'ome without saying a word to anybody.
+I knew 'e didn't like Bob Pretty, but I couldn't see why 'e should be
+cross about 'is speaking up for 'im as 'e had done, but Bob said as it
+was 'is modesty, and 'e thought more of 'im for it.
+
+"After that things got worse than ever; the wimmen and children stayed
+indoors and kept the doors shut, and the men never knew when they went
+out to work whether they'd come 'ome agin.  They used to kiss their
+children afore they went out of a morning, and their wives too, some of
+'em; even men who'd been married for years did.  And several more of 'em
+see the tiger while they was at work, and came running 'ome to tell about
+it.
+
+"The tiger 'ad been making free with Claybury pigs and such-like for
+pretty near a week, and nothing 'ad been done to try and catch it, and
+wot made Claybury men madder than anything else was folks at Wickham
+saying it was all a mistake, and the tiger 'adn't escaped at all.  Even
+parson, who'd been away for a holiday, said so, and Henery Walker told
+'is wife that if she ever set foot inside the church agin 'ed ask 'is old
+mother to come and live with 'em.
+
+"It was all very well for parson to talk, but the very night he come back
+Henery Walker's pig went, and at the same time George Kettle lost five or
+six ducks.
+
+"He was a quiet man, was George, but when 'is temper was up 'e didn't
+care for anything.  Afore he came to Claybury 'e 'ad been in the Militia,
+and that evening at the 'Cauliflower' 'e turned up with a gun over 'is
+shoulder and made a speech, and asked who was game to go with 'im and
+hunt the tiger.  Bill Chambers, who was still grieving after 'is pig,
+said 'e would, then another man offered, until at last there was
+seventeen of 'em.  Some of 'em 'ad scythes and some pitchforks, and one
+or two of 'em guns, and it was one o' the finest sights I ever seed when
+George Kettle stood 'em in rows of four and marched 'em off.
+
+"They went straight up the road, then across Farmer Gill's fields to get
+to Plashett's wood, where they thought the tiger 'ud most likely be, and
+the nearer they got to the wood the slower they walked.  The sun 'ad just
+gone down and the wood looked very quiet and dark, but John Biggs, the
+blacksmith, and George Kettle walked in first and the others follered,
+keeping so close together that Sam Jones 'ad a few words over his
+shoulder with Bill Chambers about the way 'e was carrying 'is pitchfork.
+
+"Every now and then somebody 'ud say, _'Wot's that!'_ and they'd all stop
+and crowd together and think the time 'ad come, but it 'adn't, and then
+they'd go on agin, trembling, until they'd walked all round the wood
+without seeing anything but one or two rabbits.  John Biggs and George
+Kettle wanted for to stay there till it was dark, but the others wouldn't
+'ear of it for fear of frightening their wives, and just as it was
+getting dark they all come tramp, tramp, back to the 'Cauliflower' agin.
+
+"Smith stood 'em 'arf a pint apiece, and they was all outside 'ere
+fancying theirselves a bit for wot they'd done when we see old man
+Parsley coming along on two sticks as fast as 'e could come.
+
+"'Are you brave lads a-looking for the tiger?' he asks.
+
+"'Yes,' ses John Biggs.
+
+"'Then 'urry up, for the sake of mercy,' ses old Mr. Parsley, putting 'is
+'and on the table and going off into a fit of coughing; 'it's just gone
+into Bob Pretty's cottage.  I was passing and saw it.'
+
+"George Kettle snatches up 'is gun and shouts out to 'is men to come
+along.  Some of 'em was for 'anging back at first, some because they
+didn't like the tiger and some because they didn't like Bob Pretty, but
+John Biggs drove 'em in front of 'im like a flock o' sheep and then they
+gave a cheer and ran after George Kettle, full pelt up the road.
+
+"A few wimmen and children was at their doors as they passed, but they
+took fright and went indoors screaming.  There was a lamp in Bob Pretty's
+front room, but the door was closed and the 'ouse was silent as the
+grave.
+
+"George Kettle and the men with the guns went first, then came the
+pitchforks, and last of all the scythes.  Just as George Kettle put 'is
+'and on the door he 'eard something moving inside, and the next moment
+the door opened and there stood Bob Pretty.
+
+"'What the dickens!' 'e ses, starting back as 'e see the guns and
+pitchforks pointing at 'im.
+
+"''Ave you killed it, Bob?' ses George Kettle.
+
+"'Killed _wot?'_ ses Bob Pretty.  'Be careful o' them guns.  Take your
+fingers off the triggers.'
+
+"'The tiger's in your 'ouse, Bob,' ses George Kettle, in a whisper.
+''Ave you on'y just come in?'
+
+"'Look 'ere,' ses Bob Pretty.  'I don't want any o' your games.  You go
+and play 'em somewhere else.'
+
+"'It ain't a game,' ses John Biggs; 'the tiger's in your 'ouse and we're
+going to kill it.  Now, then, lads.'
+
+"They all went in in a 'eap, pushing Bob Pretty in front of 'em, till the
+room was full.  Only one man with a scythe got in, and they wouldn't 'ave
+let 'im in if they'd known.  It a'most made 'em forget the tiger for the
+time.
+
+"George Kettle opened the door wot led into the kitchen, and then 'e
+sprang back with such a shout that the man with the scythe tried to
+escape, taking Henery Walker along with 'im.  George Kettle tried to
+speak, but couldn't.  All 'e could do was to point with 'is finger at Bob
+Pretty's kitchen--_and Bob Pretty's kitchen was for all the world like a
+pork-butcher's shop_.  There was joints o' pork 'anging from the ceiling,
+two brine tubs as full as they could be, and quite a string of fowls and
+ducks all ready for market.
+
+"'Wot d'ye mean by coming into my 'ouse?' ses Bob Pretty, blustering.
+'If you don't clear out pretty quick, I'll make you.'
+
+"Nobody answered 'im; they was all examining 'ands o' pork and fowls and
+such-like.
+
+"'There's the tiger,' ses Henery Walker, pointing at Bob Pretty; 'that's
+wot old man Parsley meant.'
+
+"'Somebody go and fetch Policeman White,' ses a voice.
+
+"'I wish they would,' ses Bob Pretty.  "I'll 'ave the law on you all for
+breaking into my 'ouse like this, see if I don't.'
+
+"'Where'd you get all this pork from?' ses the blacksmith.
+
+"'And them ducks and hins?' ses George Kettle.
+
+"'That's my bisness,' ses Bob Pretty, staring 'em full in the face.  'I
+just 'ad a excellent oppertunity offered me of going into the pork and
+poultry line and I took it.  Now, all them as doesn't want to buy any
+pork or fowls go out o' my house.'
+
+"'You're a thief, Bob Pretty!' says Henery Walker.  'You stole it all.'
+
+"'Take care wot you're saying, Henery,' ses Bob Pretty, 'else I'll make
+you prove your words.'
+
+"'You stole my pig,' ses Herbert Smith.
+
+"'Oh, 'ave I?' ses Bob, reaching down a 'and o' pork.  'Is that your
+pig?' he ses.
+
+"'It's just about the size o' my pore pig,' ses Herbert Smith.
+
+"'Very usual size, I call it,' ses Bob Pretty; 'and them ducks and hins
+very usual-looking hins and ducks, I call 'em, except that they don't
+grow 'em so fat in these parts.  It's a fine thing when a man's doing a
+honest bisness to 'ave these charges brought agin 'im.  Dis'eartening, I
+call it.  I don't mind telling you that the tiger got in at my back
+winder the other night and took arf a pound o' sausage, but you don't
+'ear me complaining and going about calling other people thieves.'
+
+"'Tiger be hanged,' ses Henery Walker, who was almost certain that a loin
+o' pork on the table was off 'is pig; 'you're the only tiger in these
+parts.'
+
+"Why, Henery,' ses Bob Pretty, 'wot are you a-thinkin' of?  Where's your
+memory?  Why, it's on'y two or three days ago you see it and 'ad to get
+up a tree out of its way.'
+
+"He smiled and shook 'is 'ead at 'im, but Henery Walker on'y kept opening
+and shutting 'is mouth, and at last 'e went outside without saying a
+word.
+
+"'And Sam Jones see it, too,' ses Bob Pretty; 'didn't you, Sam?'
+
+"Sam didn't answer 'im.
+
+"'And Charlie Hall and Jack Minns and a lot more,' ses Bob; 'besides, I
+see it myself.  I can believe my own eyes, I s'pose?'
+
+"'We'll have the law on you,' ses Sam Jones.
+
+"'As you like,' ses Bob Pretty; 'but I tell you plain, I've got all the
+bills for this properly made out, upstairs.  And there's pretty near a
+dozen of you as'll 'ave to go in the box and swear as you saw the tiger.
+Now, can I sell any of you a bit o' pork afore you go?  It's delicious
+eating, and as soon as you taste it you'll know it wasn't grown in
+Claybury.  Or a pair o' ducks wot 'ave come from two 'undered miles off,
+and yet look as fresh as if they was on'y killed last night.'
+
+"George Kettle, whose ducks 'ad gone the night afore, went into the front
+room and walked up and down fighting for 'is breath, but it was all no
+good; nobody ever got the better o' Bob Pretty.  None of 'em could swear
+to their property, and even when it became known a month later that Bob
+Pretty and the tramp knew each other, nothing was done.  But nobody ever
+'eard any more of the tiger from that day to this."
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Tiger's Skin, by W.W. Jacobs
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12128 ***