Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-01-14

Jaws OF death. Men did not dare u
set foot into the jungle except in partie;
of dozen or more.
"Of course the people stopped going
out after night, but the first thing any
body knew the old man-oater came and
took a man right out of Doraypore, and
got away with him. There were big
patches of thick jungle all about, and
for all the natives could do the tiger
was safe enough. They hadn't CUR
of any kind that they could have killed
him with.
81 went out three times, think, with
a lot of good crackers and heaters from
the villages, and we tried our best 10
bag the brute, but he was too smart
for us.
"Well, things went from bad TO worse,
until finally one day party of men
came up here post-hasto to bring me
word that the night before the man
eater had actually carried of the grown
up daughter of the hcadman of n little
village close to Dornyporc. She was
seized on her own doorstep, just after
dark, and carried OF right before hor
mothers eyes. Tho hcadman begged
me To come down and try once more Ia
kill tho brute. Well, Of course ! dropped
everything, got my rifle ready
had only one good one then aud went
down 10 Dorayporc.
"The villagers had marked him down
rs closely rs they dared in expectation
OF my coming, and they know very
nearly whore he was, so early the next
morning with dozen Of tho best
crackers, and about fifty boators, we set
out. | heard afterwards that NIL tho
rest Of the villagers went 10 their tenn
pies that day 90 ask their gods 10 give M
good luck.
"Thc crackers soon led us 10 n large
patch of thick, matted Jungle IN which
the tiger was thought 10 be lying. We
posted several men up in trees To watch
the tiger whenever he ran and mark
him down. After getting upa little, low,
scrubby tree with two crackers, close 10
the point where we thought tho tiger
would break cover, we gave the signal TO
the bcaters ut the upper end of the
thicket and the beat began. The men
worked along slowly, keeping well
together for safety, not making too
much noise, but quite enough to scare
any tiger. The heaters worked along
|
had gone more that half way down, the
man-eater skulked out of the bushes at
the lower end. expected him to come
close to my tree, and he did start for
the nearest cover which was beyond us,
Just us we thought he would, but before
be got within anything like fair range,
he suddenly changed his course, and
made off rapidly in another direction. He
twigged us, YOU see, and proposed to
| give us q good wide berth. | drew up
and blazed away at him as he ran-just
for luck-onc barrel after another, but
taking all disadvantages together, |
missed both times, and the brute bolted
off at lively gait, growing at us until
he disappeared.
"After that we had to track him, and
it was nearly three hours before we
finally lodged him in another Jungle
patch. II was about the hottest part of
the day, and he didn't like to move, but
the heaters finally drove him out. This
time he came out precisely where we
thought he wouldn't, and being clear
out of our reach, he skulkcd off without
my even firing at him.
"He led us fine chase the rest of that
day until late in the afternoon. Just as
we were talking about giving up the
hunt for that day, and going home, one
of the markers in tall tree nearest the
hills got terribly excited about some.
thing, and began to wave his arms about
like maniac, and yelled out to us,
pointing toward the jungle in the direc-
ton the tiger had gone. Presently we
saw n cloud of dust of that way, and a
little later herd of cattle, rushing
wildly along road leading from the
Jungle toward Dorayporc. We supposed
the cattle had met the tiger, and stam-
peded on the spot. AS quickly as he
could, the marker slid down out of his
tree, and came running toward us at the
top of his speed. He came up painting
and perspiring, and what do you think
had happenedp"
IL haven't the least idea"
'Well, sir, he saw that brute of n
tiger actually kill the herdsman, who
was driving that herd of cattle, and
carry him into little patch of Jungle
close t0 the road! The marker said we
could surround the thicket the tiger was
in if we could get there before he left it
for the continuous Jungle, and we
eagerly caught at that last chance. l
picked out about twenty men, and we
dead run. When we got within sight of
the thicket, we saw it was of about three
acres in extent. After giving directions
to our little handful of heaters took
four of the crackers who were armed
with spears, and made q dctour to get
into the belt of jungle without being
seen from the tbicket Once in, we
worked rapidly down to the point oppo-
site the thicket. At the edge there was
nothing but low bushes about seven or
eight feet high, no tree half large enough
for us to have climbed into TO shoot
from.
ut was foolish thing to do, sup
pose, but l determined TO stand right
there, and for once get good, fair
shot. The crackers thought 1t very
risky, but they promised to stand by me
whatever happened. So took my po-
sition in the edge of the bushes, posted
the crackers close behind me, gave the
signal, and the beat began.
"Fighting tigers on foot is anxious
business, and had hard work to keep
my hands steady while we watched
| DuJ we nau not long 10 WNt. Five
minutes after the beat began, we saw
the tigers face peering cautiously out
of the bushes at the end of the thicket
opposite us. He saw the men in the
trees, and felt that he could safely pass
between them. He walked out of cover,
and skulking low amongst the stunted
bushes, at q swift trot made straight for
where we were standing. He got over
the ground very rapidly, glancing sus-
piciously right and left, mouth trifle
open to breathe freely. At last we were
face to face! l covered him from the
moment he left the thicket, and when
he was within forty yards of us, aimed
at his chest to make sure, and fired.
Down he went i'm an instant, roaring
and growing horribly, biting and claw
| inc In cycry direction. Quick as nos