Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-04-29
aIN AT TIE DEATH"

tI1ere were three OF US cumming To-
rether in a solitary little hole in the
Jungle, not so very far-as one counts
s Il distancein India-from Secunderabad.
We were Cooper's Hill young men; and
fate and the government had given us
Ia chance of distinguishing ourselves
and e1tinguishing our fellow creatures
by the making OF branch railway in
Guiding bridge and a tunnel. So
- Nthere were thee Of us; and right jol-
Z Fl Nv time we had on the whole Our
bungalow was a real work of art, COW
!. cred with creepers, by which l do not
: mean to insinuate centipedes, OF which
~ however, there was also agood few, but
iessamine, plumbago a climbing moss
sxfz (which one of us had rescued from the
a. tangle of the jungle, and coaxed to live
in q more civilized pesition--besides
many other lovely specimens. To
- save our valuable time we generally
~ addressed each other by our initials.
80 Mine, unfortunately, spelt M. A. G.,
~ Ito which my companions, in moments
= of harity, sometimes added a second
course OF p. !. f. I was the eldest of
- the trio.
- We had not been very long at our
49, branch-line work when | was laid low
~ with an exhausting attack of Jungle
fever and ague. My friends +. S. p
and H. K. by turns nursed me with a
5 &<5 Tenderness and care for which can
Z ~ never be sufficiently grateful. Ipulled
Through thanks to them; but since
Fthat time, have been subject to rather
severe fits of ague, from one OF which
- was recovering at the time the incl
q Il: dent happened wish to tell you about
1t had been an absolutely broiing
= {lay, and we had been driven to the
<serge of insanity between the heat and
the flies. We were reclining after our
Hays work, on our basket sofas. on
ID s the yeranda, in the cool ofthe evening,
- = {Epuffing away solemnly and silently at
Nour brier-root pipes, when it suddenly
[struck us that group ofnative work
~ men, who were experimenting the
NJ s booking OF their evening meal in a cor
- ner of our very improvised sort of
compound, must have received some
Exciting Intelligence Being young and
- eportively inclined, we were all three
- q Fellows OF one idea, and that idea was
arzz s.tigers."
{ aJust call to that gaping fool and
ask him what's up" suggested /, in a
:. washed out voice.
"St. Johnr shouted E. S. p, whose
2 - 4voice carried farther than either OF
) - ours, clapping his hands loudly at the
4 - same time, to attract the attention
80 Of the cabling group, and up came the
Etallest, thinnsst native to be met in a
kerry long days ride. We had christ
ened this man 'St. john" first, be-
szzzE 4 eause he wore the most fearfully and
"a 81 xonderfully made camels hair gar
Z ) snent that civilized eyes ever looked
hlpon; and secondly, because he was
s, S. ;o desperately lean and lank, We were
! - Pertain that he must feed on either
socnsts or grasshoppers; which are
sszlzz< both supposed to be very anti
:, - Eat diet
49, Up, then, came this mysterious
- coolie, and with many salaams, much
- s 3 Eesticulation and showing the whites
s e S. OF his eyes be informed us that there
was a most bioodthirsty man-eater
lurking in the neighbC hood, close by,
"A ut our very door! l looked nervous
! Il Sy round, not enjoying The idea of be-
ing caught By Monsieur Maneater
: armed only with a brierwood pipe. E.
: = and IL. at once appeared to be seized
I - with ST. Vitus's dance so absurdly and
go Historically active had they suddenly
~ s. become
"Where was he last SEEM" "How
Z s. large was he?' "What village was
s..s the scene OF his last meal?" GLOW
& many people was he known to have
ssrE eaten?" "Who brought the news?"
i. A<ss Send him up to be questioned.
~ = st. John went away, and in a few
q - 1ninutes reappeared, accompanied by
- & b native postman, who, it seemed
knowing that the railway Sahibs were
partial to tiger, had kindly dropped
rzsz IN With the intelligence. Wefound out
! zsx ell we could from the man and re-
ais Narded him with some money and to-
- bacco.
2--t1< The last within Xyas q moor N alive
: woman, who had crept into the corr
- - her of the veranda OF a bungalow some
ssss i mlles away and fallen asleep, from
-zsz1s# which, poor soul, she was roughly
g s1s1 weakened, and then hall carried, half
S ~ Dragged to n clump of thick jungle
- ~ grass and bushes about two and a
/. zsss half miles from where we were. The
s = ID postman's eyes and teeth glistened
sith sympathetic pleasure as he saw
bow keen and eager the other two fell
rstF ows were to be after the brute. Twas
~ = put of it altogether, as | could not
. - rust my shaky hands with a rifle in
kuch case OF lie or death, so / look
- ID on and listened to all their sug
2 kestions and arrangements with the
: aeepest interest.
- That poor old bag of bones is not
likely to have afforded him much of a
.S5r:s 8 EgorEs,'" said III. "fie may turn up
rs-.ss Pm our veranda tonight, boys, to see
Sad he can find some hight refreshment
<ssasSs< here"
) - He will get some black pepper,
which may not agree with him, said
;. p, who had gone into what we
alled our armory and brought out his
6. Is pile, which he began to clean and make
3. =. eady Tor very active service.
BY this time darkness had closed in
go ound us, with that small respect for
{ <1fzs5 Wight which SO bothers the enter
Z prising traveller in foreign lands. The
zrrs ervants and workmen had dispersed
. o their various habitations, and our
S . hhite-headed native factotum was
e taneing before us announcing dinner.
e 49, Hush" said H., putting his finger
- E Up IN commanding way and listening
'.rssss |ntently. Didn't either of you hear
is omething leap over the wall?"
- On, bother your imagination-I'm
pm to dinner" said j, rising abruptly,
And disappearing through the open
~ window. The other fellows followed,
x ~ no were soon busily employed in
- making the most OF the meal of the
81 lay and arranging about the NOR
-. lows sport
<<& When ''To Tum" as we irreverently
8; - allied our venerable butler, brought
- ne my tea and biscuits at g the next
- morning had much to ask him, for
= ana H. had gone of without wax
- ng me, probably thinking that the
- ght OF them with two rifles in their
- 'ands and a tiger in the bush would
Pe TOO exciting and tantalizing forme.
g found that the Massa Sahibs had
n eparted after very hasty breakfast
= :. nd had taken st. John with them,
arrying third gan in case of acct
ent railway coole reported dis
ant shots heard about an hour after
ne Sahibs had left the bungalow; but
otnng had since been seen or heard
men or man-eater.
- iou can open that blind, To Tum,'
aid I, pointing to one of the windows
boxing toward the north, for Thought
snozsd probably see the conquering
aocs returning that way, covered
s1 glory and thorn scratches. The
E bad departed and left Inc to my
4 "a and good intentions OF
XZxs 4 4 - r,,tof M ,,sy,r 49, soc