Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-10-11


came at length out Of their huts. The elder
man was the kullal, or wno-makcr and yendcr
Of the village. lie had the most property, and
therefore had remained when all the rest had
fled or been killed. His eyes were like fcrrots,
and he was we'll primed with drink, which had
kept him to the sticking point. When the sup
plies had arrived, got lot Of tobacco, and
made it common to all had the shikaree' fed
| to their stomach content, and made my own
shikarcoS, two in number, get their food, which
| always had ready cooked for them They were
men Of low caste, but Of the most proved cour-
age. Both had been with me for years; and
| though they could not shoot-not being allowed
to fire off my guns-thcy had never seen any
animal make good his charge, or escape either
being cut down, wounded, or turned by my
heavy rifles they stood by me, therefore, with
out fear. At some other place will describe
! them.
The stories here related regarding the number
of people killed by these tigers, their lcrocity
! and daring-eyen to the extent Of coming into
the village at night, and pulling the people out
of their huts-werc something almost incredi-
bic. | may here mention that, though | COM
monty shoot tigers, and indeed any animal, and
every kind Of the gcnaS )roI which | meet in
the Jungle on foot, I am not q proicssod tiger
shooter on foot. intended to shoot them from
trees, if possible. The animal commonly is We
ry wary seldom ycnturins into villages for fear
of being cntrappol.
The naib duFldor, or rather lance nack Of
my small guard, who was himself Bhkarcc,
volunteered to 60 and look out for a place whore
might situp in u tree, near & shallow and
muddy tank With little water, at the foot Of
the large mountain, and to tic one Of my small
ballockS-a beast about twa.,ty months old
there Having taken with him one Of my loab-
lie guns, as we'll as the thra2 villagers, and one
of the shikarees, to make the mcchaun, he star
ed at the very hottest time of the day, about ,
P. NJ. This was the most unlikely hour for him
to be seen on heard by the tiger.
The spot he went to was not bat about four
hundred yards from my tent Or the village and
at the foot Of that part of the mountain whence
the male tiger, Or large man-eatcr, presently de
scendcd. The nack mad one of my doublc-b4r.
relied guns with him, the other men had spears.
This tiger was the slayer of the priest; and so
! powerful and large was he, that his custom was
to take up lis victims in lis mouth and carry
them up to the mountain Their bodies were
never recovered.
About five o'clock p. NJ, the naick came into
tho camp, good deal alarmed, saying ho had
not finished the mechaum, for the shikarce he
was afraid had been carried off; that the man
was just below the tree, cutting wood With
leaves to make the curtains to conceal the shooter
in the mechaum, but that he had suddenly dis
appeared.
Immediately ordered my shikarces to get my
rlHes, intending to 60 and recover the body Of
the man. But inquired very anxous!g which
Iof the two shlkarecs he was, still surprising
that the man who had gone with the naik was
he who had come Of his own accord. start
ed for the spot, and, on arriving at it, heard the
spotted deer reused and utter the shrill bark
which they DO when suddenly alarmed by IL
ger, OF any animal that kills them Telling the
naick TO finish the m2chaum quickly, and thai
,,ehqulI b2 within circle Of few hundred yards,
| went in search OF the body of the man, whom
| then supposed killed 1t turned out, the next
day, that he fled through fear, to his own vii
lagc, some three or four miles off.
After searching for some time in vain, was
returning in the direction of the mcchaum, when
heard the axe of the people that were making
it, and, on arrival | found AL of them up in it.
looking intcntly in the ravine below On ask
| ing why they were up there. they replied, The
tiger is just below US. l looked, but could see
nothing in the dense jungle. The sun had set,
t and it was nearly dark. Thinking the tiger
r might spring out on us, ii he thought there was
} but one or two, l spoke loudly, telling them to
get down; and thus noisily we returned to the
camp. This was made secure Tor the night
t All the horses, bull0cks and cattle, were brought
c within the smallest space they could be picket
e cd in, the carts dragged outside Of them, and
large fires lit every twenty yards. 0rcr and
above the regular sentry (of dismount,d troop
A ers, the clyants were told oil, and these fun
h iShed some four more scntres, with relief eve
/ ny two hours. Ny two double heavy rifles hat
the W hitcst little bits OF cotton stuck with Ices
t wax at the sights near the muzzlcs, and were
d placed on the chair by my cot The large Dor
r cl single rifle, two ounce one, with a double
8 charge of powder, lay ready to my hand under
| the bed.
l OF Il pitch dark night, if a tiger jumps int,