ily have been
mastered at first, makes us in time its devoted slave."

"I cannot admit," said Fritz, "that any sensible man would allow
himself to be treated in the way you state."

"The wisest and bravest have often, for all that, been obliged to bend
their heads to such circumstances; in fact, those only escape whose
hearts have been steeled by time or adversity. Well, nothing would
please the lady in one of her caprices short of Sir Marmaduke's going
alone to the jungle and killing a tiger or two for her. This caused
him some little uneasiness."

"I should think so," remarked Jack, "unless he had been accustomed to
face the animals."

"However, the widow's hand was to be the reward of the achievement,
and the thing must consequently be done. Being, however, as I have
said, a bit of a philosopher, he considered with himself that if, by
chance, he should perish in the attempt he would lose the widow all
the same, and that he could not think of with any thing like
equanimity. To extricate himself from this dilemma he sent a despatch
to an enterprising friend of his, then stationed with his regiment at
Calcutta, requesting his advice."

"And this friend, no doubt, sent him a couple of tigers all ready
trussed?"

"No, better than that; he sent him a strong iron cage fifteen feet
square, very solid. This was shipped on board a cutter commanded by
Captain Littlestone, and I was entrusted with the task of erecting it
on shore, whilst an express was sent off to Sir Marmaduke."

"Ah!" said Jack, "I begin to understand now."

"Well, he rigged himself in tiger-hunting costume, went and bade the
lady good-bye, who coolly wished him good sport, mounted a horse, and
rode off to conquer a lady who, as a proof of her affection, had so
cavalierly consigned him to the tender mercies of the wild beasts."

"Why, it was dooming him to certain destruction," said Fritz.

"In the meantime the cage had been conveyed to a valley surrounded
with mountains, the caves of which were known to shelter entire
colonies of tigers. Here also came Sir Marmaduke. The cage was firmly
embedded in the soil, the exterior was thickly studded over with sharp
spikes screwed into the bars; inside were placed a table and a sofa,
with crimson velvet cushions."

"A lady's boudoir in the wilderness," said Jack.

"In one corner there was a case containing a dozen bottles of pale
ale, and as many of champagne; in another was a second case containing
cur