New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-04-09
ADVENTURE WITH a TIaER.

After some days good sport in the way OF = pig
soEg E aae e. hat mS rand mann
tanned our characters as sportsmen OF the first
water, we moved onr camp to q place called
BeIaspoor, where there was q bungalow built by
sporting collector of the district, known by the
soubriauet Of Tiger Tom' not Because his dispo-
sition at all resembled that crafty and ferocious
animal, but from the number OF them he had
killed.
One month every year-generally in April
Tiger Tom used to make up party and come to
this bungalow, that he might pursue his favor1te
sport without having to go far in search of it.
These entertainments were much enjoyed by his
friends, for Tiger Tom was facetious fellow, told
capital stories, and always had unlimited supply
Of Bass or Allsop.
For some time back the bungalow had been I'M
occupied and neglected, Tiger Tom having been
carried off not by one Of his opponents, but by an
equally dangerous foe-jungle fever. Now and
then il was occupied for few days by sportsmen
from the neighborng stations, but very rarely |;
and it certainly presented very desolate appear
ance as we rode up to 1t.
Ione.neglected houses suffer in any country; but
in this climate, with its moist soil, not SUM- \, ana
heavy rainy seasons, vegetation spreads with IN
conceivable speed, and the jungle had grown mp
to the very walls on the east and south Sides The
house seemed to be stuck on the edge of very
dense jungle which stretched in the quarters have
mentioned, as far as the eye could reach; and one
could not look at it without thinking Of tigers and
serpents, and all manner Of wild beasts.
a
that had been erected for the numerous retinue of
tile collector and his friends, added to the sombre
aspect of the place, for they were roohess and
doorless, the villagers in the neighborhood there
were none, however, nearer than q Ross, or Two
miles), having doubtless carried off all available
narts of them They did not dare, however, to
touch the house itself, having probably whole
some dread of the collectors myrmidons, police
station not being far Of.
Riding to our tent, which was pitched under a
tree at some distance from the bungalow, we
bathed dressed land had our breakfast, and tfen
strolled over to take O closer look at the place
To our surprise we found it occupied, for, on oul
approach, mongrel cur, half parah and half bull
| dog set up furious barking, and brought out {
European sergeant, his half-caste wife and
| couple of children.
his name was Murphy that he was in charge Of {
salt-station some dozen or SO of miles away; tina
| he had come there that very morning for htu'
shooting and had brought his family for chang
| and I" diyarsonn - not knowing that the bungalow
| was SO dangerously near the Jungle.
We dsmounted and examined the place, ant
then the following colloquy was held
a But how did you travel, Sergeant Murphy, an'
| where are your servants and frapst
. Och !, yer honors, the natives Chad luck Sc
the dirty spalpeensD who druye the cart and az
tended my powney, were frightened Ior WIG wig
bastes, and wouldn't stay at no price so sen
Them to a village two miles of, where they're tt
wait till sind for thin Only that chap pointing
| ia a servant in the verandah, agreed to stay til
| evening to cook for u.s.
II aWelI my good fellow I said, !" it does lool
like a place for wild beasts, and 1 feel prett
sure your bullocks and pony, and perhaps tn
4 natives, would have been deyoured by tigers
/ you had attempted to keep them here. ! wou
recommend yon leaving the place, too, withou
delay, as your wife and children are not safe eve
in the day-time-there may be lots of snakes abor
4 these ruins.3 Qt
Oh, we'll take care of ourselves, yer honor
and I've nate gun here, that'll astonish the wal
sind yer honors haunch of yenson that I'm e.
expecting to get, If yell condishined to accept 1t
"Don,t count your chickens before they o
Matched, Murphy said H, laughing, deer
not SO easily shot in this thick jungle; and Iwon
advise you to take care, for you may come upon
tiger quite as readily
Sergeant Murphy declared he was not afrai
but we would not leave him without q promise,
his wife joining her entreaties to oursItha,t
would keep very near the house and on Inc sAf
of the jungle. z=.-i. 49,, 3, he,
AT dinner time we sent over some thnSs ~ y ~. =
out the commissariat of the sergeant anu IL ns a,
n lily, which we suspected would MOI pe suf'
% abundant. ~ bad saw
1;sbt aSGn, gi;mmerina in the bungalow, which wa
ahont nnarter Of mile distant, pnt taere a. -
sonr,d to disturb the still nignt. -, o,a ,,arn;n
So - aysnp visit to our horses, and WarMh
G ses Ia and 1rass cutters to watch by turns, an
Lae,. m a good fire, the materials Tor Whlcn ma
q hsep collected in the afternoon, in case OF noe
le furnal visits, we turned In.
& II must have been some two OF three hours site
!" that was ayyoke by the call Of stsahih Sahih.
inst outside the canvas near which lay, and 0
my ronsng myself sufficiently 70 remember Whei