Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-06-27

went 10 look at the object OF so
suggestive concourse.a We soon put up
a fine tigress, and, after a very exciting
little fight, padded" herr. e., lifted her
on the top Of the large sackcloth.covered
cushion of straw which is always on the
back Of az elephant when at work, and
which is known as the pad" On this
she was secured with ropes. By this
time it was getting dark, and when we
reached our bivouac it was quite dark,
save that the night was starlit On
dismounting from our howdahs our
first care was to get some grass
together on which to have the body of
the tigress thrown off the pad, so as not
to risk injury to the skin. We were
both standing by, experimenting the
operation, and the tigress had been slid
off the pad on the grass, when, to our
astonishment and terror-horror would
perhaps be a better word-she slowly
raised herself up on her fore-legs, and
turned her head toward us. We were
OF course unarmed; and so, keeping a
steady frpnt to our foe, we retreated,
calling for our rifle in the direst Of
funks. All this while, and it seemed an
age, the tigress did not change her posi-
ton, and did not raise herself on her
hind legs. Wheu' rifles came aud
lights, we cautiously approached where
she was, and found her stretched at
length again. After resisting entreaties
to put another shell into her to make
sure, we at length summoned up cour.
age to 60 to the PROSTATE form, and
found her-as might have been expect
ed, considering that she had come two
miles bound-stark and stiff 1t was
some time before we were able TO ac
count for the phenomenon we had wit
messed with such disturbance to our
nerves; but we at last found out that,
when the tigress was thrown off the pad
the elephant, of course, sitting down
the while-tbe rope which had bound
her had fallen over with her, twisted
round her neck; on the elephant stand.
ing up the tautening of this rope raised
the fore.psrt Of the tigress, and her
head was slowed toward US by
swerve on the part Of the elephant,
who then stood quite still, and
thus retained the body Of the
tigress in this startling position.
The scene at the death Of tigress No.
2 might have easily been q more serious
one. She was marked down into
thick mala bush, and was with some
difficulty beaten out of it toward S., who,
though he had an easy shot, either missed
her altogether or only knocked off fore
foot claw. e., did more harm than
good. She rushed off to my left front
at great pace and was rolled head over
heels by an Express shell behind the left
ear. She lay breathing out her life in u
sea Of blood, and at last to all appear
ances died. threw several heavy art-
cles on her carcass, and my mawahut
threw his gajbank," or driving iron, on
her, yet she stirred not. A pad was be-
ing got ready to receive her, and many
of the mawahuts had left their seats on
the necks of the elephants for the easier
seat on the front part of the pads, and
as is their wont, were clubbed head to
head, :" bukking " (Anglice, boastiugly
talkihg) of their parts in the fray.
While the line was in this position, and
most, if not all, of our guns were empty
1--WE had been blazing away at peafowl),
and we imbibing the placid peg, our
defunct friend raised himself up, and,
with dazzled look round, caught sight
of the elephants, and charged the next,
effectually scattering the pads. She then
fell foul of tree hard by, and standing
up against it to her full hight, a splendid
sight--tore and mauled it with claws and
teeth, evidently taking it for one Of her
biped tormentors. Recognizing the fu-
tility of this revenge, and presently spy
ing two howdsh elephants, she came at
us with roar; but by this time we were
loaded and ready, and couple Of shots
finished her. The whole scene did not
occupy minute. | shall never forget |
the look on her face as she slowly raised |
herself up from what we thought was
death-a look of stupid muzlness, rapid
idly and markedly changing to one Of
rage as she saw the elephants,
and connected them with what had hap
pened to her.
My shell had blown away the whole of
the rear part of the skull behind the
brain pan, leaving the brain untouched;
every ,suture of the Uranium was shaken
more or less open, and the left under jaw
was fractured. The wound was, of
course, mortal one, but its immediate
effect was only temporary conclusion
Of the brain and passing insensibility.
It was an evidence Of the tremendous
vital power of the animal that she could
10 what she did after such a wound. No
other animal in the world could have
lone it.