The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-01-09 00:00:00

A BOY'S ADVENTURE WITH A TIGER

(From the Pictorial World.)

About thirty years ago the members of a circus
company were exhibiting in the city of Boston, and a
youth about sixteen years of age, who was very fond
of natural history, every day paid a visit to the enter-
tainment, attracted by the display of a large collec-
tion of wild animals. He was particularly interested
in watching the manceuvres of a very fine Bengal
tiger, who by its restless movements showed its dis-
approbation of the confinement it endured, and he
took delight in annoying the captive brute, who
roared with impotent rage, and by the flashes of its
malignant eyes and the display of its deadly fangs
indicated what its tormentor's fate would be if at any
time he should be in its power. One morning he
visited the menagerie before the usual hour of the per-
formance, and finding no person at the ticket-taker's
office, he entered the room where the animals were con-
fined. Advancing to the cage of the tiger, to his great sur-
prise he perceived that it was empty; and, without think-
ing of the danger he incurred, his curiosity prompted
him to enter the cage, and endeavour to realise how
he creature felt when it was a captive. Fortunately,
for him he closed the door of the cage whonahe entered,
and the instant after he had fastened the bolt he per-
ceived the tiger protruding its head from behind some
boards that were placed at the back of the menagerie.
With a roar of malignity and triumph the fearful brute,
advanced to the cage, and, inserting one of its paws be-
tween the bars, endeavoured to seize the youth and
drag him to his fate. The poor boy was so over-
whelmed with horror at the dangerous position in which
he had placed himself that he was unable to call for
assistance, and could only press himself as closely as
possible against the back part of the cage. He then
perceived with terror that the fore paw of the animal
reached within two inches of his dress,which the infuria-
ted beast endeavoured by every means in its power to
grasp with its claws. Trembling with horror and despair,
the boy pressed himself as far back as possible, and seemed
almost to flatten himself against the back of the cage; but
in spite of his utmost attempts to compress himself into
the smallest possible compass, the tiger by a sudden
movement of its paw managed to grasp his jacket with
one of its claws, and dragged the unfortunate youth
towards the bars. When the tiger had dragged hiva
within a few inches of the bars the cloth of the jacket
gave way; and, in consequence of the force the tiger
was exerting, the sudden separation of its claw from
the dress caused the fore paw to be withdrawn from
within the bars of the cage, and the boy availed him-
self of the opportunity to press himself once more
against the back part of the den. The ferocious brute
finding itself baffled in the attempt to again clutch the
boy, uttered a low, menacing growl, and then commenced
to walk slowly around the room—all the time casting
malignant glance upon the boy—its eyes gleaming with
baleful light, and seeming at times to flash with sparks
of fire. Suddenly it crouched to the ground, and then
sprang at the bars of the cage with such fury and rave
that it seemed to strike the cage like a thunderbolt,
and then rebounded from the iron bars as a football
rebounds from a rock. The boy now bethought him
of a penknife he carried in his pocket, and determined
to defend himself. Opening one of the blades, he
calmly awaited the attack which the maddened animal
evidently intended to make; and as soon as it pro-
truded its paw again into the cage he struck at it with
all his force, and drove the pointed blade into its flesh,
which it penetrated to the bone. When the brute felt the
pain of the wound it uttereda yell of mingled rage and
agony; and the keepers hearing the noise rushed into
the room, and immediately realizing the situation,
they sent for one of the performers, who was a circus
rider from South America, and who had been in the
habit of capturing wild horses on the plains of the
South. The rider hastened to the menagerie, bringing
with him his lasso, which was a strong string or rope
abott thirty feet in lengthy and with a loop at one end.
This he threw over the head of the tiger, and drawing
it tight around its throat almost strangled it, and the
keepers getting a large net drew it cautiously over the
now helpless beast and easily secured it. The boy was
soon released from his perilous position, his curiosity
being fully gratified. He never again was desirous to
know how a tiger felt when it was confined in a cage.