Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1879-10-11
THE MAN-EATER.

WHOM Ill buc HlluulC vi tilc Io'iu VIZ 'uih'
upon bloody mass, apparently tho re-
mains Of o woman, but bruised and Ia
Cerated, and crushed almost out Of SOM
blance to humanity.
Stopping the buggy we looked around
for some explanation of the tragedy,
and then perceived that tho streets were
utterly deserted of man, woman, and
children, although scared and cSstious
faces were to be seen peeping from the
doors and windows, or over tho para
pets of the houses.
There must have been an attempt at
n riot, and the soldiers have made an ex-
ample or two for the benefit OF tho re-
mainder," said my friend, as we drove
hurricdly on.
A few rods further We came upon tho
corpse of q young man similarly dislig-
ured, and also laying in tho middle OF
tho road.
This is really awful. They must have
made tho elephants kill thcm,' muttered
my friends again, stopping the horse and
gazing at the frightful spectacle.
At this moment man appeared upon
tho top Of an adjoining house, and look
cd anxiously down tho street. To him
my friend shouted, and he cried:
Pardon, sahibs, but tho boy was my
boy, and the house il desolate. BY the
teeth of Kali, but he has turned this
way again. Take care of yourselves,
sahibs, he is coming. The man-eater is
upon youw
Tho admcc-kanawallah! tho man
eater! | have seen him. He is horse
with temper of tiger and courage OF
man. He belongs to tho king, who
sometimes sends slave who displeases
him into his stable. They drag the body
out with hooks
As he spoke my friend was hastily
turning his horses, while tho terrified
syce, who had hitherto run beside the
buggy, scampered off TO the side of the
road and disappeared, l know not
where.
At tho foot of the hill we had just as
cended both my friend and had noticed
u sort ofpark or pleasure ground, sur
rounded with high iron fence, its gates
standing Hospitality open. Toward
these gates we now drove at the top
speed of our horse, while behind us, on
tho road, Numbered the iron hoofs of our
pursuer. Once the sound ceased, and,
standing up, | looked over the top OF
the buggy to see if he had loft us. But
no had only encountered child, too
young to know it's danger or to escape
it, and when | caught sight of him, the
savage beast shaking tho poor littlo OBJ
jet in its mouth, precisely as dog does
rat. Another moment and no had
dropped it, and was again in pursuit OF
lis. That moments pause, had lost him
his prey, for just as he was about to
Overtake us, we turned into tho inclo-
sure, my friend leaped from the buggy,
slammed the gates and shut the heavy
bolt securing them.
AS he did SO the man-eatcr arrived and
hurled against the gates with a shock
that must hayo shattered them had they
been of wood.
Then he stood for on instant glaring
ut us through the iron railing with dis
tended nostrils and glazing eyeballs, his
head covered with blood, his jaws stream
ing with recent slaughter, great clots of
coagulated gore clinging to his cheeks as
horrible sight as can well be conceived.
At the sound of his ferociOus whinny-
ing and snorting the horse we had been
driving trembled and covered az if at
the roar of lion.
For a few moments the man-eater per-
sisted in his determination to assault
us, galloping up and down the front of
the inclosurc, glancing at the height of
the fence, and raining a perfect bat
tory of blows from his iron heels upon
the gates. At last, however, convinced
of the useless 'ess of his efforts, he turned,
with an indignant neigh, and galloped
off down the road. A little below us an
archway had been thrown across from
one house to another, and upon this arch
number of troopers stood awaiting the
opportunity now presented, for rs tho
horse, with head and tail erect and
wildly glaring eyes, searching upon
every side for fresh victims, passed be-
meath the arch, a rope skilfully thrown
settled upon his neck, choked, and threw
him.
The next day the king ordered the man.
eater to be turned into the arena with
Burrhea, his finest Bengal tiger.
The arena was q court yard about six
tyyards square, surrounded by buildings,
with a veranda below and gallery
above.
The front of this veranda was closed
by heavy bamboo railing, and behind
it, in space just below the royal balco-
ny, the ladies of the harem, or as they
are called in Hindoostane, the Purdah-
beebees, meaning literally curtain-ladies,
as distinguished from the poorer class of
females, were allowed to peep as they
could at the combat.
The man-eater had been enticed into
the Enclosure by means ola country horse
of small value, to whom he manifested
no animosity, but seemed to regard with
contemptuous indulgence, as a creature
r I l.. I,