The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-08-14
AN AWFUL BATTLE.
TWO ROYAL BENGAL TIGERS ENGAGE
IN MORTAL COMBAT.
Ehe BLOODY Spectacle 1t Afforded an ORR
entail acknowledgements Description
of the Terrible Contest-A Thor
OushIy whipped Beast.
cincinnati Enquirer


At last the signal was given; the bam-
boo railing in front of the cages arose.
Terai Wallah sprang nimbly as cat out
of his cage opening his jaws and shaking
his tail from side to side with a slow. yet
powerful motion. Kagra advanced slowly
until both animals were, perhaps. fifty
feet from each other, shaking their tails,
meanwhile. as they stealthily eyed each
other. Then Kagra advanced a few
PAGES. His adversary lay himself down
on the courtyard, his feet well under
him, as If ready for a spring. Kagra
watched his foe intently and began ap-
preaching. not in a straight line, but com
ing up in the arc of circle, as if to catch
his opponent unawares. Terai Wallah
rose to his feet and described a similar
arc, though on the opposite side. The
galleries were breathless with suspense.
Even the rustling of fans ceased, for the
eyes of all the vast audience was intently
fixed on the two beautiful beasts circling
toward each other.
Step by step each slowly advanced
Kagra, as if self confident, made spring.
It was as if he was impelled to it by some
unseen power that he could not resist,
yet, at the same instant, Terai- Wallah
jumped aside Kagra alighted fOiled,
and before he could recover him
self Terai- Wallah was upon him,
his huge claws fixed firmly in his neck
and the horrid jaws grating at his throat
It was the work of a moment. It could
scarcely be seen that Terai- Wallah had
gained any advantage, when Kagra made
another spring. a bound in which he
concentrated all his energy. Terai
Wallah was dragged with him for a short
space. The claws that had been dug into
his neck were torn gratingly through it,
the open mouth snapped fercely but
harmlessly at the advancing shoulder
which bore marks of Terai- Wallah's
sharp teeth.
For a.moment the two tigers stood gaz-
ing at each other with distended jaws,
their ample mouths opened to their ut
most limits, their beautifully streaked
skins started from their forms in excite
ment. while their tails moved convul-
sively as If swapping like a whipcord
Kagra was the first to attack again, but
he was too near to try his former trick of
They stood in the center of the arena, and
their sharp claws moved so rapidly and
their huge mouths trying to grasp each
others necks that it was Impossible
to tell the attack from the de-
fense They drew gradually nearer
as they thus fought, uttering
fierce anarls. Each seemed to have sue
ceeded in grasping the others throat
With their mouths buried in each others
flesh and their claws dug deeply into the
neck they arose at length to the contest
on their hind feet, straining and tugging.
and wrestling as it were with each other,
each with its utmost force and skill.
1t was sublime moment, and breath
less was the interest of the assembled null
titude: They stood fully six feet high as
they thus grappled with each other, ele-
waited on their hind legs in a kind of
death struggle, their round heads and
glaring eyes surrounding the muscular
pillars of their long bodies Firmly their
claws were fixed into the neck on both
aides. There was no shifting of position.
No further grasping either with claw or
mouth. It was contest of life or death
Both Were bleeding freely and 1t was
contest of strength now as to which would
be thrown under and loose its hold AT
length Kagra, more skillful or impetuous
than his antagonist, overthrow him, and
the two rolled over in the arena, Terai
Walish on his back beneath Kagra above
"Kagra has til" shouted many voice;
but the advantage was with him for only
q moment The hind claws of Kagra
were being plunged into the belly of his
foe, when Terai- w allah, who never let go
his hold for a moment with his mouth,
struck one Of his fore paws over the face
Of his antagonist. His claws evidently
pierced Kagra's eyes Cne Of them was
torn from its socket, and uttering howl
OF pain ana despair the muLlaIeu DehSG
relfnquished his grip, and would have torn
himself from his antagonist. But Terai-
Wallah would not let go his hold, but
chung pertinaciously to his throat He
was dragged few PAGES over the arena
by Kagra, who in turn tried to release
himself, and then, all at once leaping
from his PROSTATE position. Terai
WaIlah hurled himself on the TOP Of his
essailant
The fight was virtually ended. Kagra,
now faller beneath his foe and fast los
ing blood, could not regain the advantage
he had lost The Terai- Wallah. thrust
ing one paw under his lower jaw, forced
back the head further until he fixed his
teeth still more deeply into the throat.
Kagra fought Intellectually with his paws,
tearing the skin of his antagonist here
and there, but his strength was fast ebb-
ing away.
aKagra is beaten, was heard on all
sides in Hindostanee and English.
He is, " said the king, and orders were
given to open Kagra's cage and drive off
Terai- w allah. Red hot rods were thrust
at the victor before he would release his
hold, and yet it was the only way the life
of Kagra could be saved At last Terai-
Wallah was driven of, his paws dripping
with blood Kagra's cage was opened and
ile at once made for It. His tail hung
flaccidly between his legs. He fed stealth
lily and with catlike tread. The red-hot
irons were thrust in front of Terai- Wal
lab to prevent him from pursuing