The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-02-27


struck down. 1t lay close to some
rather thin Jungle, near ridge of low
rocks, few large trees, such as man.
goes, were interspersed in the brush
wood, and the ground was covered |
with dried-up leaves so crisp that it
seemed impossible for an insect even to
pass over them without being heard. |
1t was then about noon, and deter
mined to sit up for the tiger, who, we
knew, would come again at nightfall
or before next morning to devour the
carcass. A charpoy or small bedstead
was speedily procured from the village
and dashed across the fork of a mango
tree, within few PAGES of the carcass
of the COW. Before sunset l and my
companion were escorted to the spot
by body of armed natives. l disem-
barrassed myself of huge sola, or pith
hat, which / placed on the ground near
the tree, and in it deposited brace
of revolvers which ] thought would be
useless in our elevated position. also
took off, and left at the foot of the tree,
a pair of thick shooting-shoes, and then,
with the help of my village friends,
gained the charpoy and prepared to
wait for the tiger. How patient
| ly we waited! Loins, and back
bones, and necks and legs grew sitter
and sitter, and ached YEARLY, but not
a sound did we utter, and still we sat-
At last we got tired of waiting and
few remarks were whisperingly uttered:
Il don't think he's coming, Il think
he heard those fellows and he is off,
etc., etc. Gradually such feeble sug.
gestions gave way to positive asser-
tions, delivered in a tolerably audible
tone, and at last l declared that l
would wait no longer and descended to
the ground. My first act was to get
my shoes, and while putting them on
and chatting without further restraint,
l remarked that it would be as well to
call the guides, and accordingly did
so. Hardly had the word passed my
lips when an abrupt startling roar from
thicket within few feet of me petri-
fed me with amazement. Never had
been so wretchedly helpless. Stand
ing unarmed at the foot of the tree, l
had one shoe off and was about to put
on the other. While expecting every
minute to be my last, felt sure that
any attempt to climb back to my perch
would be the signal for the tiger to
seize me. To remain standing there
was equally disagreeable. My revolv-
ers came to my recollection. They
were lying in my hat, but the hat lay
somewhatin the direction of the thicket.
, 1t was trying moment, but in another
moment / found myself striding toward
the hat, one shoe off and the other on,
,, and hardly conscious of what / did.
remember grasping the revolvers, cock
ing them, and, with the barrels leveled
: toward the bush, which steadily faced,
} shutting sideways to the tree. The
feel of the trusty weapons in my hand
} was comforting, and at length ]
reached the tree on the side furthest
: from the thicket, and went up it like q
/ lamp-lighter, although on my first
= arrival had required the assistance Of
5 other peoples arms and shoulders.
. When l got up fired right into the
Q bush, just as our escort came up with
2 lighted torches, and we returned to oui
. tent in the village.
: Next morning l repaired to the
7 scene of our nights vigil. The COW
1 was gone, and broad trail showed
J., which way she had been dragged. Al
l about hundred yards from our mango
q tree, and near the foot of the rocks
s lay the stomach and entrails and a poo
/, of blood. Further on was spo
9 where the tiger had been rolling. Tht
q marks were plain, with some of hi
hair lying where the ground had beer
r pressed down. And on ledge on tn,
e summit of a perpendicular rock lay tn,
g carcass of the COW, partly eaten away
s The tiger must have jumped upon tn,
s ledge with the COW in his mouth Their
Q were no other means of ascent. Tn
o prodigious power of the animal may b
Y conceived from such feat. didn'
) get the tiger that day, but did few
n days afterward.
Y II can not call to mind having me
d in any book with an accurate descrip
J, ton Of the tigers cries. The snarlin!
q and growing of the animal wheI
q stirred up with long pole is familia
II to all who have visited a menagerie
# and appears to be the only noise tn
IS creature makes when in a state of car
y tivity; but in his native forest, in tn
d long nights of the cold season when tn
10 woods on the hills seem to sleep in tn
l. moonlight, the tiger striding along
l. his native forest news like an old tor
e Gator rather like q hundred old tor
5. cats in chorus. 1t is loud and HAIRS
IS and grating NEW. 1t is seldom hear
4. more than twice or thrice. When tn
d tiger is on the lookout for food, usual
y in the evening, he lies silent and mC
g, tionless in some dense covert close
in water, where animals resort to drinl
W and when one of these approaches mes
Y. enough he bounds out on his prey
ut perfect silence, or with an abrupt, sol
be orous grunt, terribly startling, whiC
ID appears to paralyze the victim and d.
re prive it of all power to fly or resist.
ly "Of tiger shooting in the orthodC
a way-that is to say, mounted on how
to dahed elephants-so much has bee
IN told and written that have nothin