The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-01-06

49, us=ating Experience in Lndia,
The following adventure happened
whilst friend and l were staying at the
pretty village of S, famous for its
pictures and temples. The village lies
rs it were in dent of the hills, for they
rise on all sides far above it, and are in
tersected with numerous rocky ravines,
infested with tigers, panthers, etc. In
the widest and steepest of these, that
ran down between the hills close to the
village, a tiger had taken up his quar-
tiers, and proving forth at night, used to
| kill and carry Off the cattle of the vii
layers. When we inquired if any brave
shikaree ever attempted to shoot it, we
were told that it was Il sacred tiger
being protected by CamacEria, the pre-
siding goddess of the largest temple of
the village; and that it was preferable to
suffer the losses caused by its ravages
than to commit the impiety of attempting
to kill it, for some terrible calamity
would be certain to happen to its slayer.
My friend and l thought differently;
so when, next morning we were in
formed of a fresh depreciation that the
animal had committed the previous
night, we determined to attempt its
destruction. Guided by some of the
natives, we went to see the carcase of
the bullock, which the tiger had dragged
into this very ravine. Close by the
carcase there were some trees,
and we quickly made our ar
rangements. We erected strong plat
form-called by the natives n1acban
in neighboring tree; and on this, the
following evening, my friend and l
took up our quarters, patiently awaiting
the tigers appearance. As we thought
it useless for both of us to keep awake,
we arranged that [ should watch till
midnight, and my friend from then till
| dawn.
During my watch, nothing occurred.
The only objects saw were the waving
branches of neighboring trees, and the
CLEAN of the ireflies as they flashed
| through these shadows. The only sounds
| heard were the clang of the cymbals
| and the beat of tom-toms, that rose
from the valley below as procession of
villagers proceeded to the temple of their
goddess. to beseech from her the boon of
rain. Now the bowls of the worshippers
grow less, as the chanted charm of their
priest arises; and now, under the strange
powers, the cries of the fanatics cease,
while the notes of the tom-tom throb
pulse-like in the beat of its rhythm.
Now the song ceases below, and its last
notes have echoed and died in the dis
tant clefts of neighboring valleys; and
then the only sounds heard are the cries
of the jackal and the screech of some
night-bird.
Towards midnight. the breeze light
ems, then dies away; then gradually,
through this midnight calm, sense of
dim terror steals over me, and 1 SILVER
in the chill of an indefnabe dread.
Midnight has long passed, when
L awake my companion, and then
after a pull at the flask. settle my
self for a nap. Hardly seem to have
closed my eyes, when L am aroused by
the grip of my friend. On my asking
what he saw he said that he felt unac.
countably oppressed and nervous; and
he expressed wish for me to keep
watch along with him. l agreed at
once. As we sit waiting feel my feet
are getting benumbed, and in spite of
all my efforts | cannot bring back the
circulation. The sensation of deafness
is also affecting my legs. My friend says
he is suffering in the same way. Gradu-
ally my arms grow powerless, and am
unable to raise the gun at my side, and
now even my neck stiffens. All nv
body, indeed, seems paralyzed. At that
moment crashing of sticks in the neigh
boring bushes tells the approach of some
animal. Louder the sound grows, and
presently the bushes part and the head
of the tiger is thrust forth, then his
whole body, and he proceeds to his I'M
molested repast. With the sound of
crunching bones in my ears, deaden-
ing sensation seizes my brain and | be-
come insensible. '
When my friend and I recovered
consciousness we were being looked
after in the house of the headman of the
village of s.. He told us that at
daybreak a party of villagers had
assembled the ravine, and finding us in
sensible, had Immediately carried us to
his house. And he ended by asking us
whether we now believed in the power
of the goddess and in the invulnerability
of her tiger.
Before leaving the village we revisited
the ravine and found our nlGchdn rested
upon two trees growing close together,
one Of which was Of poisonous char
acter. To the exhalations of this tree,
when the breeze died away fancy we
owe the state of coma that l have de-
scribed, and the long subsequent illness,
which prevented us from again attempt
ing the slaughter of the tiger. Cham
6erS' Journal.
In Russia nenola usa +La +bo,.,,o,,,o