The Tigress

"Of course," said Nina, her face drawn, "we must wire at once for the earl."

They were gathered in Kneedrock's suite in St. James's Square – the duke and his duchess, Lord and Lady Bellingdown – who had chanced to be in town – and Nina and Gerald Andrews, the latter a veritable tower of strength in emergency from the very first.

It was the morning following the episode at the Zoölogical Gardens, and the fate of poor Nibbetts hung, figuratively, on a cobweb.

"Much good it will do to send for the earl," returned the duke a little testily. "He wouldn't come to town for the king's funeral, and he won't come to stand at his only son's death-bed. Why, when Nibbetts went down to see him after his return from the South Seas the earl wouldn't admit him. I know that. Don't we know that, Doody?"

The duchess wiped her eyes, and nodded.

"Unnatural old beggar!" added the duke.

"Still," persisted Nina, "I think we should wire him."

"Do as you please," he granted; "but he won't come. He never comes. Hasn't put foot off his own lands in twenty years. If there was anything wrong with Nibbetts's brain it was hereditary."

"There wasn't anything wrong with it," Nina declared warmly. For eighteen hours she had been trying to convince herself there wasn't. "It was just his way."

"But it wasn't his way at all," contradicted his grace. "That's just the point. Nibbetts never did play the fool before, even for a purpose. He was too jolly indifferent."

"It's my opinion," put in Donty Down, "that he's been having trouble over that girl in Dundee."

"Nibbetts wouldn't let any girl make trouble for him," persisted the duke. "I say he's too indifferent."

"I am going to wire the earl," said Nina in an effort to quench the dispute.

"He won't come. I tell you he won't come. You try it and see," the duke flung after her as he crossed to the door.

In the adjoining room she encountered Andrews, and gave him the message. The experience had brought them very close together – closer than ever before – and the man had proved himself.

There had been great difficulty when they reached the gardens on the preceding afternoon to ascertain the facts. The guards evidently had been instructed by the management to hush the matter up.

Each and all professed entire ignorance. There had been some disturbance, but beyond that they knew nothing whatever. And the police were almost equally uncommunicative.

From a visitor, however, Andrews had learned that the scene of the affair was the tiger-house, and that a gentleman had been probably fatally injured.

More than that, his informant, who had seen the gentleman carried out, gave so graphic a description of the victim that, taking all the circumstances into consideration, there could be no doubt it was Kneedrock.

As temperately as possible Andrews had passed these tidings on to Mrs. Darling.

"And now," he said, "you'd best go home at once, since nothing can be gained by your stopping here. I'll get what additional facts I can, and follow as soon as possible."

With which he had put her again into the taxicab, and hurried back to intercept other visitors.

But the narratives, formed most of them from hearsay, were contradictory and confusing, and it was not until by sheer accident he ran into the identical guard he had interviewed in the morning that he obtained a veracious and circumstantial story of what had happened.

The tiger-house, owing to the accident, had been closed for the rest of the day; and this guard, whose name was Phipps, was among those relieved from duty.

With a warning finger, to indicate the seal of secrecy that was upon him while within the grounds, he led his inquirer out through the south gate, and directed his steps thence to the nearest public house, where over a pint of half-and-half, for which Andrews was but too glad to pay, he told his tale.

"It was a most un'appy business, sir," he began – "a most un'appy business; an' no one as I sees to blaime for it, either. It was like this, sir: 'E comes in – the gentleman we was speakink of this mornin', sir – an' str'ight 'e goes for the caige of the big Bengal tigress, just as usual, sir.

"I was displeased to see 'im back again. I was that, sir. For, as I said, I felt sooner or laiter there'd trouble come of 'is 'auntink the plaice. It 'appened, though, sir, the day bein' wettish, there wasn't more'n a 'andful of wisitors in the 'ouse, an' 'e speaks 'is little piece to the old Bengal gal without attractink much attention.

"I'm keepink me eye on 'im the while, you may be sure, sir. An' I see 'im leanink as far over the r'il as 'e can stretch, sir – smilink and laughink in 'is hodd, queer waiy; quiet enough, sir, but a bit creepy, all the saime.

"An' then, sir, I see the tigress stop 'er pacink, an' she draws up close to the bars, rubbink 'er sleek sides against 'em, while 'er eyes narrow, sleepylike, an' she begins purrink like as she was a great big babblink brook, sir. You could 'ear it all over the 'ouse; an' it wasn't in reason it shouldn't attrack attention, sir."

He paused to lift his pot of half-and-half, and Andrews sipped his whisky and water.

"A crowd began to gather," Phipps went on, "an' I see as 'ow it was time I was takink a 'and. So hup I steps, an' politely I says: 'Would you move on, kindly, sir?' 'E was a gentleman, sir, that 'e was. 'E never so much as looks round at me, but 'e moves on without a word.

"The crowd thins out after a minute or so, an', as I don't see 'im comink back, I turns awaiy to answer a wisitor wot wanted to be shown the American pumas, an' told about their 'abits.

"It's a fac', sir, as 'ow I'm uncommon interested in pumas, an' I clear forgot to be lookink after old Miss Bengal an' 'er gentleman admirer. So 'ow it 'appened I didn't see. But Jenkison says – 'e's the guard as 'as the other side, sir – that some'ow the two kiddies got separated, an' one – "

"The two kiddies?" Andrews interrupted. "I didn't know – "

"Yes, sir. There was two of 'em, sir. Two little girls – six an' seven, I should saiy, sir. One, runnink on a'ead, tripped an' fell an' let out a cry. She was the youngest, an' 'er mother, quite forgettink the other, runs after 'er to pick 'er up an' kiss the spot.

"Jenkison 'ad 'er up first, though, an' – 'e's a married man, is Jenkison, with little uns of 'is own – 'e was a soothink of 'er an' never lookink be'ind. You see, sir, it must 'a' been that it was then that the other got under the r'il an' begun climbink."

"Began climbing!" Andrews exclaimed. "Do you mean to say a child of seven – a girl – dared to climb up – "

"She did, sir. An' not a soul seeink her, either. It was the purrink of the tigress that did it, sir. That's what I think, sir. The kiddie 'ad a little pussy at 'ome, I dare say, sir, that purred when it was pleased, an' the tigress's purrink took all fear out of the little un. She wanted to pat Miss Bengal, an' – "

"Good God!" cried his listener. "She wasn't killed?"

"No fault of 'ers she wasn't, poor child!" Phipps answered. "I 'eard 'er scream. Jenkison, 'e 'eard 'er, too. An' there was no mistakink what it meant.

"We ran, an' so did the rest of the guards; but none of us 'ad a chance of gettink to 'er in time. The beast 'ad 'er by 'er little shoulder, and was draggink 'er between the bars even before the gentleman got there. An' 'e was the first that saw."

"He saved her!" breathed Andrews tremulously. "Lord Kneedrock saved her!"

The guard started in surprise. "Was that 'im?" he asked.

"Didn't you know? I thought – "

"I 'eard 'e was a wi'count, sir. But I never imagined 'e was – "

"Yes, yes!" the other interrupted. "What did he do? What happened?"

"'E was over the r'il like a shot, sir, talkink as 'e went. I never see the like before. The sound of 'is voice was as magic to the beast. She let the little un go at once; drew back an' – I give you my word, sir – begun purrink again.

"The rest of us just stood an' watched. The kiddie, you see, sir, 'ad fainted. 'Er body was on the floor of the caige, an' 'er little legs 'angink out. It was a most 'orrible moment, sir. I'd 'a' shot the brute then an' there, but I couldn't get a fair range by reason of the gentleman – 'is lordship – beink in the way; an' to miss would 'a' been sure death for the little un.

"Seeink as 'ow 'er arms was stretched, there was no chance of pulling 'er out by her feet, either. I saw that in a second, sir. 'Is lordship saw it, too. For 'e started to drag 'er that way – croonink like to the beast the while – an' then, of a sudden, 'e stopped.

"The next instant 'is arms was between the bars, an' 'e was drawink the little gal's 'ands down to 'er sides. An' there that Miss Bengal stood, watchink. I know the cat tribe pretty well, I do, sir; an' it was me as was watchink 'er while she watched 'im.