The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-09-24
THE MAN-EATER

Some years ago was riding with II
friend through the streets of Lucknow,
when. in the middle of the road we came
upon bloody mass, apparently the re-
mains OF a woman, but bruised and lar
cerated, and crushed almost out of sem
hance to humanity.
Stopping the btsssgPp we looked around
for some explanation, and then per-
ceived that the streets were utterly de-
serted ofman, woman, chill and beast,
although few scared and cautious face,
were to be seen peeping from the doors
and windows, or over the parapets of Iii,
houses.
"Therc must have been an attempt at
) n riot, and the soldiers have made an eA-
ample or two for the benefit of the It
mainder," said my friend, us we drove
hurriedly on.
A few rods further we came upon tie
corpse of "A young man similarly disiig-
ured and also lying in the middle of the
road.
This is really awful. They must
have made the elephants kill him." NUT
tered my friend again, stopping the
horse and gazing Mt Che frightful spec
tacle.
At this moment man appeared upon
the top of an adjoining house, and
looked anxiously down the street To
him my friend shouted, and he cried
Pardon, sahibs, but the boy was my
boy, and the house is desolate. BY the
teeth of Kali, but he has turned this way
again. Take of yourselves, sahibS,
he is coming. The man eater is upon
> your
"The Gd;aee kandoOallah! the man
eateri | have seen him. He is horse
no Ac nd
rage of man. He belongs to the king,
who sometimes sends q slave who dis
pleases him into the stable. They dag
the body out with hooks"
AS he spoke my friend was hastily
turning his horse, while the terrified
syce, who had hitherto run beside the
buggy, scampered off to the side of the
road and disappeared, | know not
where.
At the foot of the hill we had Just as
cended both my friend and had noticed
sort of park, or pleasure-ground, sur
rounded with high iron fence. its gates
. standing Hospitality open. Toward these
gates we now drove at the top speed oi
horses while behind us, on the road
hdered the iron hoofs Of our pursuer
Once the sound ceased, and standing up,
looked over the top of the buggy to see
ii n6 utu l6lb US DuJ llC lldu OulJ cit
countered a child, too young to know its
danger or to escape it, and when / caught
sight of him, the savage beast was shak,
ing the poor little object in its mouth
precisely as dog does rat. Another
moment and he had dropped it, and was
again in pursuit of us. That moment:
pause, however, had lost him his prey
for just as he was about to Overtake us
we turned into the inclosure, my fTienC
leaped from the buggy, slammed tht
gates, and shot the heavy bolt securing
them:
AS he did so the eman-eater arrived anC
hurled himself against the gates with
shock that must have shattered then
had they been of wood.
Then he stood for an instant glarinj
savagely at us through the iron railing
with .distended nostrils and glaring eye
balls, his head covered with blood, hi
jaws streaming with recent slaughter
great clots of coagulated gore clingin
to lis cheeks, as horrible a sight as ca
well be conceived.
At the sound of his ferocious whinny
ing andesnortingtheh horse we had bee
driving trembled and covered as if q
the roar of a lion.
For few moments the man-eater pc
sisted in his determination to assault u
gallOping up and down in front of I'll
inclosure, glancing at the height of IL
fence, and raining a perfect battery
blows from his iron heels upon the gate
At last, however, convinced of the US
ssneSs Of his efforts, he turned, with 8