The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-25
Stopping a Tiger.

lhe ioiiowing extract from letter will
be read with interest.
must give YOU a slight
description Of an adventure had with a
tiger on this last trip, and my miraculous
escaped BY Jove! Old fellow, had any bet
ting men been there, they would at once have
given the long. odds all round, that H. G.
would ne'er, in this world, receive scratch
Of the pen from A. M. II occurred on the
25th Of last month; so, to make short busl-
ness OF it, here goes
Intelligence was sent to me that tgress
Fl had followed up for two or three days,
having wounded her slightly in the leg
before, was lying under,a Burgut tree. Out
went about IL O'Clock in tie day, some
three miles from my camp. On arriving,
saw it was case Of close quarters, as the
Shikaree and the men about her only made
signs and would not speak and on quietly
asking where my friend was hanging out,
they pointed to q large tree, certainly not
more than % yards off, took my rifle
and stood facing the tree, just on the line
Of road my lady took when going out visit
| ing; sign was made the men placed on
the heights commenced to shout and scream,
and in one instant heard the purring noise
like cat, but about thousand times louder
The Shikaree presently pressed my arm and
told me to take steady aim, directly saw
her as she was very ghussa, (angry
Immediately she got up, and began walk
ing up and down under the tree, as you see
"a tiger in large cage, her tail lashing her
sides, and sent at times slap over her back.
All at once she saw me; or rather stopped
the fore part Of her body, put back her ears,
as you see an angry cat, opened her mouth,
gave three or four low growls, and Showed
me the whitest set of teeth have ever yet
seen, without the use of tooth powder. At
this moment levelled my gum and fired,
struck her, and no sooner had the ball
struck, than with one of the most fearful
roars | ever heard, down she came upon
me. 5#
Thank God was steady and cool, fred
the second barrel, hit, but did not stop her.
had just time to get my second gun from
my aid (that great mans son, who stood
ready as rock" may his shadow incrcase')
when she was upon me. fired the right
barrel slap into her chest; but this was not
enough for the Infatuated brute she got me
down right onathc broad Of my back, Just as
| was about pulling the left trigger in her
rage, she turned little, and Just took my
foot into her mouth on feeling the pressure,
managed to twist it out like Lightning, and
she was again on me with one foot on ch
side Of my chest. She then put down her
head with that kind Of growing noise, only
much louder, with which a bull terrier wor-
ries any kind oivarmint, right over my throat
and chest In being thrown down, I man
aged to keep hold Of my gun, and on the
brute STOPPING down to worry me, ] showed
It up in self defence; she shook it from my
hand like straw, broke it into halfa dozen
pieces, and in fact expended all her rage
upon it. The ball had put into her chest
began to tell she reeled away from me
about six yards, and dropped down dead.
There was an escape for you! 1t was the
secret wish ofmy heart to see tiger charge
right up to me. ] have seen it once, and
now, so help me God, as Christian, never
want to see the thing again. | now am
aware what chance thing it is: thought
man, if steady, could always stop one.
The tiger before this had dropped, with one
ball, dead but you see this brute, although
with a mortal wound with which she died,
might before doing SO, have killed a dozen
such as l. Had she mauled my throat in
stead Of the gun luckily had in my hand,
! should have been lost sheep. The fell
lows round about would not believe their eyes
on coming to lift me up, as was covered
with the blood Of the tiger, that was un-
hurt. You never heard such Wah, Wahs''
in your Efe. #