“What is it?” asked Rob, as he came nearer.
“The—the—tig-er! he’s killed the children and eaten ’em up!”
“Where are they?”
“Down in the clearing back——”
That was all Rob could catch, for the terrified wretch had not stopped in his wild flight, but was speeding on toward the village as if a hundred wild tigers were at his heels.
Without stopping to think of what the consequence might be to him, Rob bounded toward a clearing off on the right and which entered the woods like a huge wedge driven in from the open country.
He had not gone half a dozen rods before a shrill scream in a childish voice reached his ears.
He knew then he was going in the right direction.
A moment later he saw a sight which fairly froze the blood in his veins.
A short distance below him was a little group of children who had been gathering May flowers, while, crouching near them, where it had crept with the cunning and stealthiness peculiar to its race, was a huge tiger!