Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1851-08-26
OBJ 99qntbts frirnh.
The BOv and the Tiger.

r lev. Mr. Lacroix, an excellent mis-
81 binary at Calcutta:
Bees are very numerous in India,
bit they are not kept there as they
ar F here, in hives; for they store UP
heir honey in hollow trees, in the
forest and jungles. But, although
it Fs difficult to enter these wooden
places, and those who do so are in
great danger from serpents and say
age beasts, yet there are many poor
men who get their living by gather
ing and selling the wild honey. Now
a few months before Mr.. Lacroix
wrote his letter, four of these men,
and a boy eleven years old, went from
one of the stations of the London
Missionary Society, for this purpose.
They got into a boat, and rowed into
an inlet of a river, whore the banks
on both sides were grown all over
with high trees and thick shrubs,
which formed part Of what is called
in India a jungle. When they came
to the place where they intended to
land, the men jumped on shore, and
left the boy to take care of the boat
while they were going after the honey.
AS the tide was then running out Of
the creek, in little while the boat
was left dry upon a bank Of deep
mud. The sun was hot, and the
place was very silent, as the boy sat
quietly in the boat, looking about
him and wishing the men would come
back; when, 10! all at once the poor
little fellow stared and started as he
saw a very large tiger standing upon
the bank just above the boat, look
ing right down upon him with his
great glazing eyes. You MAY fancy
how he felt as he beheld thd savage
beast first fix his fierce look upou
him, and then crouch and crawl along
the ground, preparing to spring and
make him his prey.
The boy was very much frightened
as you may suppose, but he had his
wits about him; and, therefore, with
out losing moment, he crept under
the deck Of the boat, for fortunately
the boat hada deck. But no sooner
had he entered his hiding-place, than
down came the tiger at one great leap;
and such was the force with which he
sprang, that one Of. his legs went
right through tile deck, and got
damned in between the planks, just
oyer the place where the boy lay.
| Without loss of time, and with
wonderful presenceof mind, the little
fellow snatched hold of a rope which
was lying near him, and twisting it
quickly around the tigers leg, he
tied it firm, and held it fast. Not
understanding this treatment, and
never having been trained, like dog,
to give his paw to q boy or man, the
lferocious creature groaned and tugged
and tried in every way to get his leg
out; but theboy knew that the only
chance of saving his own life was to
kenn tbe rome firm and therefore he
held it fast as he could. After twist
ing and turning and pulling for a
long time, without getting away from
the boy, the tiger was quite cowed,
and laid himself quietly down on the
deck. Now you may suppose how
the poor boy must have felt as he
peeped through the broken deck, and
saw the red eyes and the great jaws
of this fierce monster
! But at last the honey gatherers,
having finished their work in the
jungle, made their appearance on the
bank. Seeing the tiger lying upon
the deck of their boat, they at once
concluded that he had killed-and COB
bled up the boy, and that he was
now getting quiet nap after his
dinner. They therefore raised a
great shout, which 50 frightened the
beast that he made one more despe-
rate tug; and as the hoy this time
was not quite so Watchful as he had
been before, the tiger jerled out his
| leg from the hole, and leaped clear
off the boat. Fortunately, he jump
ed right into the deep mud, and as
he was laundering about and trying
trying to get out of ii, the four men
rushed down upon him, and with
great sticks which they happened to
have in their hands, they labored
away with all their might at his head,
| till they stunned and then killed him.
! How glad they we're when they
saw the boy whom they thought had
been killed and cate by the tiger,
quietly creeping cut from under the
deck, safe and sound, you may easily
suppose; for he was the son of one Of
| the men and the nephew of another.