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

the very edge of the camp. These animals,
which live in the mountains with the tigers and
panthcrs never allow them to move without fol-
lowing them, and by Jumping from branch to
branch of the trees, over their heads they warn
other animals and man Of the tigers approach,
The horses also this night wcro very uneasy
but the fires and constant watchfulncss Of the
scntries kept the tigers out.
l waited for daylight with much anxiety
and directly there was sufficient light, rubbing
the cotton off my rife sights, got my people
up, and started for the place where the calf had
been tied, The kullal, or wine-maker, was ia
ken as guide, lest We should lose ourselves in
the jungle, and also to carry the drinking wa
ter. Scarcely two hundred yards had been pas
sed, whom we heard the tiger, which infested
that part Of tho forest, roar loudly. The poor
yillagcr, the father of the only remaining lami-
", whispered, Wuh hai-that is he that's
the tiger who owns my village replied, If
you run, you are dead man keep behind us
Placing in front my head shikarce, Mangkalce,
who has very good sight, while, in the dusk, my
own is very bad, we hurried along the path
Coming to some rocks from which knew that
tho tied-up calf could be seen, and thinking
that the sikareo might not have remembered the
spot, pulled him back cautiously. l looked.
There was the white calf, apparently dead
Mangalcc remarked as much in a whisper. The
younger shikarec, &ursoo, was behind me on
the left. We all gazed at II tail. The distance
was some sixty yards from US, but we could not
make out the tiger. At length the end Of the
tail moved. Nursoo making similar motion
with his forehngor, whispered in my car, Doom
hilta-hai '-C The tails moving now made
out the body Of the animal clear enough Not
blade Of grass nor y leaf was between US y
single forest tree, without branch on it for
Thirty feet from the ground, was twenty yards
nearer the tiger,
1t Was very probable that lie would see us,
bat it must be risked So pressing down my
sbkarcc, with my hand behind me, and keeping
I
while said within myself God be with me
IG get behind that tree without your seeing
Inc, you re dead tiger. Ipasscd rapidly for
ward. SO intent was the huge beast upon the
poor calf, that he did not hear me. placed
the barrels of my rifle against the tree, but was
obliged to wait
The tiger and the calf-lay contiguous, tails
on end to us. The calls neck was in the tigers
mouth, whose large paws embraced his victim.
looked, waiting for sSAe change. in the posi-
part
a. AcS,S nhcsFtain
distance, and one at which all the poly-grooyed
rifles with u large charge OF powder, that have
seen tried, rise from five to six inches.
The weapon had in my hand was very
broad bolted, two-grooYed rifle, by Wilkinson,
carrying balls some ten to the pound and only
Iour uaye before this, had proved that, when
loaded, with tho bulletmould full of powder,
it carried its ball point, blank, ,rithoutrisng or
falling, for ninety yards. Strange as it was,
that | had had this rifle by me for three years;
but, owing to having a very fyorito double,
Ipoly-gpooyed nae, some pounds heavier, by
Wcstley Richards, to which, was much attach
ed, had not but very rarely used the Wilkin,
son.
At length the calf gave struggle and kick
cd the tiger, on which the latter clasped him
nearer, arching his own body and exposing til,
white of his belly and chest, pulled the trig-
ger very slowly, aiming at the white, and firing
| for his heart-he was on his left side-as ii
was firing at an egg for thousand pounds,
knew that hit the spot, aimed at; but to
my establishment, the tiger sprang up several
feet in the air with roar, rolled over, and to
wards me-for he was on higher ground than l
was-when, bounding to his feet, as if UNI
scathed he made for the mountains, the last
rock Of which was within forty rods Of him.
must acknowledge that, firing at beast of
this sort, with no vital part to aim at, standing
as was for some time looking at him, and on
lower ground, my heart beat rather quicker
than was its won't. Albeit had never turned
my back to any animal III the junslea, and not
one had ever seen its shape was confident,
too, in my own nerve and shooting, for | had
cut down, with one exccption--and that one