Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1882-05-25

lite resort for recreation of us young
officers. Whenever 1t was possible to
obtain leave of absence for day or
two, we made double quick charge
into Mikes coy quarters, and then
sailed forth into the jungles with sew
eral Ghoorkha attendants, to hunt leo
pards and tigers. / had been for over
a year in quest of the nest of partic-
ularly rare species of burrOwing beetle,
and upon the obtaining of which L had
| pledged my reputation for enterprise
and perseverance.
| A GhOOrkha lad, whom L had en-
ployed in the quest, came into my quar-
ters one morning with the news that
he had at last located the desired nest
L plead with my Colonel for leave to
seek it out. 1t was granted, and on
the following day / rode into the
Ghoorkha village, full of enthusiasm.
only to find that my promised guide,
In company with all the able-bodied
men OF the community, had sailed
forth in pursuit of much-dreaded
man eater who had for months been
creating sad havoc among the terrified
natives. Startled out of the abject fear
OF the luckabagga that had hitherto
paralyzed their pursuit, the inhabitants
had seized their arms, and gone out in
body to the jungle, hoping to enclose
the man eater in circle, and put an
end to his frightful devastations. An
urgent message had been left me, to
join them, and native boy left behind
to be my guide, but on inquiry | found
the latter had disappeared hiding as /
afterward discovered, in terror of be-
ing compelled to enter the jungle. l
stood for a moment in a quandary; ;
well armed as was, it was no prudent
| thing for single man to venture into
those dense thickets, especially when
the near neighbOrhoOd of such terri
ble enemy was a matter OF certainty, it
was an equal chance that the hunter
might become the hunted; the slayer,
the slain. have said, there was with
in me an ardent longing for adventure,
and now in addition l was determined
not to return to the barracks, without
an effort to obtain those coveted bee
ties; consequently, after short con-
sideration, l stabbed my horse and
plunged into the jungle unattended,
having first obtained as minute direc-
ton as possible, both as to the position
of the beetles nest and that of the
hunting party.
l need scarcely say, that foolhardy
as was, did not pursue my laborious
course through the thick jungle with
out keeping sharp watch, with both
eyes and ears that none of its fierce
denizens might take me unawares.
1t so CHANGED that the insects | was
so DESTROYS of obtaining had located
their nest at the foot of a large tree
that stood alone on the very verge of
small open space in the jungle where
year or two back, an enterprising ma
tive had essayed to start a plantation,
but had been compelled to leave it on
account OF the frequent inrOads of IL
gers and leopards. Hence it was that
| was enabled TO find the exact spot
wished to reach, otherwise it would
have been like hunting needle in
haystack. After two hours cautious
marching, l stood at the foot of the
wide spreading tree, and beheld at last
my long-coveted specimens running to
and fro about their sabterraneap dwell
ling, unsuspicious of the destroyer near
at hand, just as unsuspicious in fact,
as he himself was, of the slayer in wait
ing for hilnl
1t was a moment OF triumph, such
as only an enthusiastic naturalist can
appreciate; those beetles were ex-
tremely rare, so rare indeed, that more
than one eminent scientist refused to
credit their actual existence, and had
pledged my word to convince these
sceptics and produce to the world the
mysterious insects; for over twelve
months the obtaining of specimens had
been my chief anxiety, and now in the |
excitement of my complete success, l |
entirely forgot the necessity of keeping |
watch upon my surroundings.
Not wishing to lay my rifle down in |
the dirt, l rested it against a young |
tree few yards away and dropping on |
my knees, pounced with eager eyes up |
on the large glossy blue beetles; one |
by one / placed my coveted treasures |
in my well furnished 'entomologists' |
box 1 always carried buckled at my |
waist, first putting each to a painless
death, by means of few drops of |
chloroform.
A hideous noise whose purport | |
knew full well, sounded almost at my
elbow, and leaping to my feet my blood
chilled as beheld the dreaded man
eater of whom the village was in pur-
suit, crouched within twenty feet of
me, his red eyes glazing, his sides heav-
ing, his tail flashing the ground. was
paralyzed; then the instinct of self
preservation rose up in all the plenti-
tude of its power and | took in the
whole scene, and my well nigh desper-
ate chances for escape, at one glance.
My rifle was lost to me; the lashing
tail of the luckabagga' actually touch
ed it. l had only my revolver, and
there was not second to lose in its
use; already the huge spotted form of
my enemy was quivering preparatory
To ito tarrihla daath daalinn laar.