The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-05-10
A Buffalo Tiger Story.

A paper published Ia India publishes this
remarkably exciting story about an adventure
i there OF an enthusiastic entomologist. 1t any
doubts the truth of the story, it is not eul
fault. Stranger things have been recorded il
/ the New York Ledger:
One very hot day, shouldering his entomo.
logical net, and with his bottle Of Cyanide o.
potassium in his pocket for the purpose of XIII
| ing his specimens. He had succeeded in tak.
ing several species of moths and beetles. wher
suddenly emerging on an open place, a eiean
tic female buffalo charged right down upon
nIm. quick as lightning the narrator spranp
up tree which fortunately happened to be
near. Almost before he had settled comfort
ably down on one of the branches, a buffalo
call appeared upon the scene, and both mother
and Calf lay down at the foot of the tree, di.
rectly under his position. In order to at.
tract the attention of his friends who were III
tne neighoorhood, or any native who might
nappen TO be near, he shouted till he was
hoarse. Ever and anon, by way of variety
with the vain hope of frightening away the
buffaloes, he awakened the EXTREMIST echoes
OF the jungle with his yells, and perpetrared
the most hideous noises ever produced by the
human voice. eiG as,aisaiF sHi74 ''lis
All was Of no avail, no friendly hand came
to aid him, and the brute still lay placidly
licking and caressing her calf He was about
to assume astanding attitude in the tree, when
suddenly his left hand, with which be had
seized branch above his head, was severely
stung or bitten by some insect or animal
Starting with the acute pain as the fear of
whip or tree snakes passed through his mind,
he involuntariIy loosed his hold upon the
bough, and thus deprived Of his support, he
lost his balance and fell from his place OF
refuge.
He dropped on the buffalos back, and in
another moment was carried away at tre-
mendous pace through the long thick grass OF
the jungle. 1t was difficult matter to keep
his seat, when all at once the buffalo spranq
into large "tank, '..and he was immersed up
up 10 his neck in water Unable to swim, he
was obliged to cling to the brute, who tor a
time swan round and round the pool at her
pleasure. He only hoped his legs would not
be seized by one Of the alligators ,of which he
had seen several in the water during the day,
Then, to his infinite horror, a singing sensa-
tion In his leg made him feel sure he had
again been bitten by another kind OF serpent
And still the buffalo showed no sign of returr-
Ing TO the land, when just as he thought she
was preparing to lie down,--he dug MS heels
into her side and delivered ramdon bic Ws on
her head and neck. Then, striking ont for
the land, speedily reached the Shore
A Jew minutes brought them to the spot
from which the animal started, where the calf
was still standing, when seizing the branches
OF the tree from which he had fallen on the
brute's back, he swung himself up into his old
position. He had not, however been very
long there when the smarting In his hands
and legs caused him to remember that be had
been bitten by snakes. The idea, OF this, and
the knowledge that one of those venomous
reptiles was in the tree ON which he was
perched, caused deadly faintness, from which
il was some time before he rallied.a9 tg asqa
Alternately fainting and reviving hour after
hour passed away, night darkened down upon
the jungle and the buffalo still kept watch at
the foot Of the tree. At length, at on advanc-
ed hour OF the night, he suddenly became
conscious that tremendous struggle was GO
ing on between the buffalo, and some laree
wild animal which he judged to be tiger.
The growing of the latter, the groans of the
buffalo, the noise of their struggle and the
incessant bleating of the cali, combined in
producing series of sounds which, in the
da kuess, of the night, appeared worthy Of the
inhabitants Of Pandemonium. For full five
minutes, which appeared like hours to me.
the dreadful struggle continued, until series
OF convulsive gasps, and snorts, and the sounds
Of struggling on the ground almost ceased.
l could, however, hear the tiger growing,
snarling and splitting like an immense cat. or
course, descent now was out OF the question.
therefore determined to remain where was
until daylight, II / did not die from the effect
Of the snake bites before morning appeared.
Sostrong was the interest with which lis
tened and strained my eyes for the purpose OF
learning what was going on below, that then
ceased to think of the contingency and forgot
enced. aiima aap dg'sf q
| Alter some time spent in, listening to the
noise made by the animal, while enjoying his
feast of buffalo flesh, the sounds ceased sud.
! denly. felt sure, however, that the beast
had not departed, for had kept my eyes fix
ed on the dark outlines under the shadow o
the tree, and the mass remained q of the same
appearance. / fancied / could trace the form
OF a tiger lying alongside the dead buffalo
and it was the shape the dark object had as
sumed and retained, since the termination o.
the conflict. -, .,s.-i;
i At length. however, succor was at hand
Seeing light in the distance, he shouted as
loudly as he could, and this attracted a party
who came out in search Of him. On coming
up'to the spot, both tiger and buffalo were
found 10 be dead. On telling his friends thai
he had been bitten by snakes they first exam
l1ined his hand and pronounced the wound be
received whilst in the tree 10 have been caused
By the sting of. hornet. e 9a'S ~ !.
On turning down bis stockings they discoy
cred several leeches gorged with blood, fol
several of these animals had bitten him dur
ing the ride through the water on the buffalo,
back. fffgfa
They then turned their attention to the deai
tiger. Not q wound was discovered abou
the carcass, but on slightly moving the body
Of the buffalo, they discovered the bottle O
Il cyanide of potassium, which had been intend
ed for chronological purposes, broken, AMI
partially introduced in the wound in the necl
from which the tiger had sucked the blood 0
his victim. While imbibing the life-blood 0
the buffalo, the tiger had also received one O
the deadliest poisons known, which in yer,
short time had producedeits usual fatal re
suit. 1a Aar-
The position of the two animals and of tn
deadly bottle left no room to doubt that sucl
had been the case. On ascending the tree ii
such hot haste the poison bottle and other lit
tie mntters were dropped, aud during tn
atruggle between the animals the former wa
broken, and perhaps even cut its way into tn
jugular Of the buffalo; thus probably assisting
in the death of the latter as well as proving
SO fatally destructive to the tiger. i
On the appearance ofdawn they discovere,
small wasps' nest hanging In the tree. Late
In the day they had the satisfaction of super
tending the skinning Of the tiger, and distrib
| ! q - - -