“‘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.