by W. W. Jacobs
Produced by David Widger
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. Onthe old table under the shade of the elms mammoth sandwiches and a largeslice of cheese waited in an untied handkerchief until such time as histhirst should be satisfied. At the other side of the table the oldestman in Claybury, drawing gently at a long clay pipe, turned a dim andregretful 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, regardedhim indulgently.
"It's all through two young gentlemen as was passing through 'ere a monthor two ago," continued the old man; "they told Smith, the landlord,they'd been looking all over the place for the 'Cauliflower,' and whenSmith showed 'em the sign they said they thought it was the 'George theFourth,' and a very good likeness, too."
The painter laughed and took another look at the old sign; then, with thenervousness of the true artist, he took a look at his own. One or twoshadows--
He flung his legs over the bench and took up his brushes. In ten minutesthe 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 hisinterrupted 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 WilfridLawson"--knew himself what it was to lack beer. He began to discourse onart, and spoke somewhat disparagingly of the cauliflower as a subject.With a shake of his head he spoke of the possibilities of a spotted cowor 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 noreference 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 thetiger 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 drawsome o' the vans broke down, and they 'ad to stop while the blacksmithmended 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, thoughHenry Walker was disappointed at the man who put 'is 'ead in the lion'smouth. 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 wastalked of. All the children was playing at being lions and tigers andsuch-like, and young Roberts pretty near broke 'is back trying to see ifhe 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 newsfirst, 'aving read it in the newspaper while 'e was 'aving his tea. Hebrought 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 ratheramused at it. Frederick Scott laughed 'imself silly a'most up 'ere onenight thinking 'ow surprised a man would be if 'e come 'ome one night andfound the tiger sitting in his armchair eating the baby. It didn't seemmuch of a laughing matter to me, and I said so; none of us liked it, andeven 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 ofClaybury things began to look serious, and Peter Gubbins said thatsomething ought to be done, but before we could think of anything to dosomething 'appened.
"We was sitting up 'ere one evening 'aving a mug o' beer and a pipe--sameas I might be now if I'd got any baccy left--and talking about it, whenwe 'eard a shout and saw a ragged-looking tramp running toward us as 'ardas he could run. Every now and then he'd look over 'is shoulder and givea shout, and then run 'arder than afore.
"'It's the tiger!' ses Bill Chambers, and afore you could wink a'most hewas inside the house, 'aving first upset Smith and a pot o' beer in thedoorway.
"Before he could get up, Smith 'ad to wait till we was all in. Hislangwidge was awful for a man as 'ad a license to lose, and everybodyshouting 'Tiger!' as they trod on 'im didn't ease 'is mind. He wasinside a'most as soon as the last man, though, and in a flash he 'ad thedoor bolted just as the tramp flung 'imself agin it, all out of breathand 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 theroad and draw it off.'"
"Just at that moment John Biggs, the blacksmith, come in from thetaproom, and as soon as he 'eard wot was the matter 'e took down Smith'sgun from behind the bar and said he was going out to look after thewimmen 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 'istemper, 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 wecould 'elp ourselves the door was open, the tramp was inside, and JohnBiggs was running up the road, shouting 'is hardest.
"We 'ad the door closed afore you could wink a'most, and then, while thetramp lay in a corner 'aving brandy, Mrs. Smith got a bowl of water and asponge 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 aslandlord, 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 theypoured brandy down 'is throat, then gin, and then beer, and still 'edidn't come round, but lay quiet with 'is eyes closed and a horriblesmile 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 thesmile went, then 'is eyes opened, and suddenly 'e sat up with a shiverand gave such a dreadful scream that we thought at first the tiger was ontop 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 throughthe 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 lasthour would 'ave arrived.
"When 'e 'ad finished Smith went upstairs and looked out of the bedroomwinders, but 'e couldn't see any signs of the tiger, and 'e said no doubtit '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 itgot 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, andthat, 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 seemedstrange 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 foundthe tramp