The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-04-08
Tigers.

The tiger may be taken as the supreme
type Of the pure wild beast Life has only
one end for him-enjoyment; and to this
he gives all his magnificent energies. En-
dowed with superb capabilities, he exercises
them 10 the utmost in this one direction
without ever forgetting for an instant that
he is only huge cat, or flying in the face
of nature by pretending TO be anything
else.
Speed, strength, and cunning are his in
degree to which in the same combination
no other animal can lay claim; in daring
none exceed him, while for physical beauty
he has absolutely no rival 4 tiger has
been known to spring over wall five feet
high into cattle inclosure, and to jump
back again with fullgrown animal in its
jaws, aad has been seen to leap, holding a
bullock, across wide ditch. As regards
its speed, the first bounds of tiger are 80
rapid as to bring it alongside the antelope
while for strength, a single blow of its paw
will stun charing bull Its stealth may
be illustrated by the anecdote Of the tiger
carrying away the bait while the sportsmen
were actually busy putting up the shelters
from which they intended to shoot it, when
il came" and Its daring by the fact that
numbers do not appal it, that it will single
out and carry off man out of the middle
of party, and that it regularly helps it.
self to cattle in broad daylight, in full sight
Of the herdsmen or the whole village |
have not gone for my Illustrations to any
travellers tale, but to records of Indian
shikar that are absolutely beyond suspicion.
To enable it to achieve such feats as these,
nature has created in the tiger the very
ideal of brute symmetry and power. The
paws, moreover, are fitted with large soft
pads, which enable this bulky animal to
move without rustic over ground where
the lizard can hardly stir without being
heard, while its coloring, though it seems
conspicuous enough when seen behind bars
and against background of whitewash,
assimilates with astonishing exactness to its
surroundings when the tiger lies in ambush
under the oyerhangiag roots, or erouches
among the eane-grass.
For the tiger makes no pretense to in
NiuCiDlc CuuIdEt. On the cOHtTaINN Ne
prefers, as a rule, to enjoy life rather than
die heroically, When death is inevitable,
he is always heroic, or even when danger
presses him too closely But if he can, he
avoids the unequal contest between brute
courage and explosive shells, and makes off
at once for more sequeStered woodlands,
where he can reign supreme, and be at ease.
1t is indeed splendid life that this auto
erat of the jungle leads.
Whether it is true that two British sail
ors once caught tiger by tempting him
into barrel, and then, having pulled his
tail through the hung hole, tying knot in
it, | do net undertake to decide. But that
a tiger has been taken prisoner in blanket
is beyond dispute, as also that tiger, hay
ing thrust its head through a wicker crate
which was filled with ducks, could not with
draw it, and in this ignominious plight,
with the ducks making a Eodglous noise
all the while, blNRdered about the camp,
ggtA, getting among the horses, it was
kicked to death. Tigers have choked them
selves by trying to swallow frogs, and in
single combat with smaller animals been
shamefully defeated,
Thus q man-eating tiger of immense
proportions, at one time the pride of the