The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-01-05

ness, anu II some OF our Sreat Scfo0IlStS
and philanthropists would show. US how
to securely fasten in the closet that skele-
ton which continually breaks out, .
domestic will-of .the.wisp, Turing the
wretched to violent death, then would
our Herbert Spencers be doing humanity
an appreciable service.-N Y. Dispatch.
A Hunting Experience in India.
.a The following adventure happened
whilst friend and i were staying at the
pretty village Of. S., famous for its
pictures and temples. The village lies
as it were in dent of the hills, for they
rise on all sides far above il. 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, q tiger had taken up his quar-
tiers, and providing forth at night, used to
kill and carry OF the cattle of the vii
layers. When we inquired if any brave
shikaree ever attempted to shoot ID, we
were told that it was n sacred tiger.
being protected by Camackria, 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.
Ny friend and 1 thought differently;
so when, next morning we were in
formed of a fresh depreciation that the
animal had committed the previous
\ 60 of &xf 70
destruction: Guided by some of the
natives, we went to see the carcase of
the bullock, which hetiger had dragged
into this very rayine. Close by the
carcase there were some trees,
and we quickly made our ar.
rangements. We erected a strong plat
form-called by the natives niachan
lin neighboring tree; and on this, the
following evening, my friend and i
took up our quarters, patiently awaiting
the tigers appearance. As we thought
itsuseIess for both of us to keep awake,
we arranged that should watch till
midnight, and my friend from then till
dawn. .-...sy..,... -,
During my watch, nothing occurred.
The only objects saw were the waving
branches of neighboring trees, and the
CLEAN of the fireflies 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 a procession Of
villagers proceeded to the temple oftheir
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
bowers. 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, a sense Of
dim terror steals over me. and / shiver
in the chill of an iEdefinable dread.
Midnight has long passed, when
I awake my companion, and then
after . pull at the flask. settle my
self for nap. Hardly seem to have
closed my eyes, when 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 a wish for mo to keep
watch along with him. I agreed at
once. As we sit waiting feel my feet
are getting benumbed. and in spite Of
all my efforts I cannot bring back tho
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 l am
unable to raise the gun at my side, and
now even my neck stiffens. All my
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 un-
molested repsst. With the sound OF
crunching bones in my ears, deaden-
ing sensation seizes my Brain and be-
come insensible. -.
81 When my friend and recovered
consciousness we were being looked
after in the house of the hesdman of the
village of S-r, He told US that at
dsybreak a :, party Of Villagers had
assembled the ravine, and finding Us in
sensible. had Immediately carried M to
his house. & And he ended by asking us
whether we now. believed in the power
of the goddess and in the inyulnsrability
of her; tiger. ,,. III, al ,-..r..ei 81.
Before. leaving the village we revisited
the ravine and found our ,nachss rested
upon two trees growing close together.
one Of which was Of . poisonous char
actsr. To the exhalations Of this tree,
when the breeze died away fancy We
owe the state Of coma that have de-
scribed. and the long subsequent Illness.
which prevented US from again atsemPs-
ing the slaughter Of the tiger-casn'-
bsrs' JSur,sai. la-e 70 si,fr - 3 81 u
"A soldier. when, under fire In Egypt
for the first time. commenced . strategi-
cal movement to the rear. s'Ycu are
wretched coward" said one Of his COM
paniona POSSIBLY l am.n replied the
retrsating sage; .'bus prefer being .