Jim leaned farther through the window, and swung his torch round and
round, extending it at the same time toward the beast, which paused a few
steps off, as if to gather himself for the spring.
The lad felt the need of vigor. He whirled the torch harder, and reached
farther, shouting,--
"Get out, or I'll burn your head off! Come any nearer if you dare!"--
At this moment Jim, in his enthusiasm, leaned a trifle too far. His feet
slipped over the floor, and he sprawled headfirst out of the window.
Chapter IV.
Jim Travers felt that he was lost. The women uttered cries of anguish,
clasped their hands, and almost fainted.
Sometimes, however, a person instinctively does the best thing possible,
when, if he took time for thought, he would do the worst.
The antipathy of wild beasts to fire is well known, but it must be
remembered that the full degree of this terror is felt only during the
darkness of night. The sun was in the horizon when the stirring events we
have set out to narrate were going on.
When Jim came tumbling through the window, he held fast to the blazing
torch, even while trying to save himself from falling.
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