Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-01-30
THE MAN. EATER.

ing their food, tigers are divided, by
the people Of India, into three classes.
The least harmful is the "game-killer, "
who lives i'm the hills and dense forests
where game is abundant and leads the
life of a bold, honest hunter. He feeds
chiefly upon deer and wild hogs, re-
treats readily from man, and so long as
he remains game-killer, he is real
blessing to the ryots who have hard
work to protect their crops from the
droves of deer and wild hogs.
The "cattle- LITTER" is a big, fat, lazy
thief, too indolent to pull down aeet-
footed wild animals, who prowls around
the villages after nightfall, or the edge
of the jungles where the cattle are
herded, and kills bullock about every
four or five days. The annual loss to
the cattle owners, whose herds are thus
preyed upon by cattle-lifters is very
great, since each tiger destroys, in a
wear, cattle worth about four hundred
dollars.
But even the most industrious cattle
litter sinks into insigniflcance in the
presence of the fierce "man-cater. the
scourge and the terror of the timid and
defenseless natives. Until tiger has
once had his fangs in human flesh, he
has an instructive fear of man, and un-
less brought to bay will nearly always
retreat from his presence. But with his
first taste Of human blood that fear van
ishes forever. His nature changes, and
he becomes man-eater.
Tigers who prey upon human beings
are usually old cattle-liiters, who, from
long acquaintance with man, have
ceased to fear him, and find him the
easiest prey to overcome and carry on.
A large proportion of the man-eaters
are NANCY, superannuated old tigers or
tigresses whose teeth and claws have
become blunt from long usage, and who
find it too great IN exertion to kill and
drag of bullocks.
Thanks to our English spor.smen, and
improved firearms, man-eating tigers
are now rare compared with what their
numbers once were. 1t is not possible
now for a single tigress 10 cause the de-
sertion of thirteen villages and throw
out of cultivation tract OF country fif-
teen miles square, as once occurred !;
nor for another to kill one hundred and
twenty-seven persons before being laid
low. Yet, in spite of Jealous English
sportsmen and breech-loading rifles, the
man-eaters still devour over eight hun
dred human beings in India every year.
1t is but natural that in the tiger
country one should hear many very in
teresting tiger stories. Itonce happened
that at the close of Il glorious days BIZ
son shooting Oh the Animallai Hills
with my old friend, Theobald, we sat
before cheerful campfire in the jun
gle over our chocolate aud sweet-meats,
with our native followers all about us,
discussing the events OF the day.
"Did you ever kill man-eater, The
obald?" asked presently.
Yes"
"Tell me all about it, WON'T you'll!
said /, with hungry Interest. Had he
many people To account for!"
"Thirteen, IL remember rigbdy. All
he was famous brute In liis day ~
"rhey called him the 'Man-eater OF
Doraypore.' That was several years
ago, and 1 was quite ayoungster then, "
he added, with a smile, as he stroked his
long jet-black beard. ''Do you really
want 10 hear all about liz"
"Yes, everything you eau renem-
ber."
"Well, the Doraypore man eater was
the terror Of little village Of that
name, and several other villages, too,
for that matter, right down below here,
not far from the foot OF this very range.
We had small timber depot there once
and used to run down to il every two
or three weeks for day or 50 at time,
There were plenty of cattle-lifters
about and ever so many cattle killed,
but they were cheap and nobody made
any great fuss about tigers until one
fine day one of the brutes made mis-
take and carried of herd-boy instead
Of bullock.
''Then there was great scare. 1t
wasn't so much the loss of the herd-boy