New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-06-26
HUNTING "A TIGER WITH cows.

HUNTING A TIGER WITH COWS.
The prominent qualities Of character in
tigers are cruelty and cunning; but,
strange as it may seem to one who is not
acquainted with the habits of the animal.
each tiger has special character. The
villagers in India, whose herds and lives
are constantly in danger from the savage
beast, know that each one has some
peculiarities Of temperament Such a
one, they will say, is daring and rash;
another is so cunning that no artifce can
deceive him. One is savage and morose,
but another is comparatively mild and
harmless. Some tigers destroy much cat
small percentage of tigers are man
eaters, otherwise many villages would be
depopulated. But when tiger has once
tasted human flesh, he seems to acquire
such an appetite for it as to prefer it to
all other food.
| An Englishman, from whose sTale of
Indian Adventure we have learned these
facts, tells an incident which exhibits the
sagacity of native hunter in outwitting
cunning tiger who had long been the
terror of several villages.
An English officer, encamped with his
troop in the district, was anxious to rid
the neighborhood Of their terrible foe;
but the tiger was so cunning that all
lures had failed to entrap him He would
come up and walk around the bait, and
| then walk off,
swell, Sheykha, what do you propose2"
asked the officer Of the best hunter in the
district, whose aid he HAD sought.
| IF the sahib will listen to his slaves
| advice, replied the old hunter. ''he will
try a shikarees way Of killing tigers.
For few rupees the herdsmen will
take their cattle into the tigers haunts,
and then if he is hungry and takes one,
the sahib may get a shot,
The officer had as his guest young
English sportsman, whom he wished to
put in the way of killing a tiger. So,
turning to his friend, he said:
| 81 cannot go with you, but YOU 90
| with Sheykna, and let him carry out his
proposal. A herd Of cows not buffaloes
they spoil sports, for they fight the
tiger and often drive him otf--wili be
driven through the jungle until the tiger
siezes one. The rest will bolt, and while
he is struggling with his victim, you may
creep up within easy shooting distance
and kill him.
Late in the afternoon the tyro in tig
hunting set off, piloted by old Sheykh
to small village. The head men were
assembled for a palaver, and it was pro-
| posed to them to drive herd of cattle up
the glen of the jungle in which the tiger
lived. When it was made clear that the
full value OF the COW killed would be
paid, and a presen: given to the herds
man besides, half the village rushed to
collect the herd and drive it up the glen.
After they had entered the glen, the cat
tie were allowed to spread and Craze
about. The young Englishman and
Sheykha rested under the shade of a tree.
"We must not hurry said the cum.
ming old hunter, $. But take time and
! saunter about as on ordinary occasions :;
otherwise the tiger will suspect some
thing. Allah knows he may be watching
us now! But even if he is not here, the
lowing Of the cows and the sound of their
wooden clappers will attract him. When
the heards move higher up, we will fol.
low
While waiting under the trees, the old
man told several anecdotes of hunting
tigers, but his eye wandered around,
and his ear caught every rustic in the
bushes.
"sahlbr' he suddenly said, stopping
in the midst of a story, be ready =
hush
His ear had caught the angry chirrup
Of a small bird. The cattle were quietly
grazing, and the young Fnglishman won
dered what could have attracted the old
mans notice.
Eyes" said Sheykha, listening and
nodding his head: sit is, i think Allah
knows it may be snake, or mungoose,
but something is disturbing that bird.
It is the hger,SI think
The Englishman rose to his feet. He
looked up and down, but nothing dis
turbed the stiffness save the clapper-
clapper of the wooden c!appers hanging
from the cattle's necks He was disap-
pointed, and doubted If old Shcykha was
right, when, Suddenly, little distance
up the glen, a yellow mass dashed out q
the thicket on the backof a white heifer,
and bore it to the ground.
''Bagh! bagh = tiger shouted the
herdsmen, as the cattle dashed wildly
down the glen.
Now, sahi5, keep youl big bush be-
tween you and the tiger. and run up,,
whispered Sheykha.
Running in a crouching position, they
l.gnt behind the hnsl1. Sanaratinne 4ha