Omaha daily bee., 1886-09-24
TIoER.HuNTlNo IN INDIA.
Parry OF KingIy Sportsmen Stir the
Fierce Beasts OF the Jungle
From Their Hiding Places.

SOIcmnity the procession moved toward
the jungle in order not to awake
being the cold season., - | suffered tre-
mendously from the heat under my
broad brimmed Indian hat. But who
could have time to complain of the heat
then, though one could hardly breathe
and was bathcd in pcrsplration?
After n while atlOck of soaring vultures
indicated that We were approaching the
spot where the tiger consumes his noe
turnal meal, and behind ridge, strewcd
with blocks of stone, and which seemed
only five hundred yards off the slain bull
lock had been tied up. The native hunts
men maintained that the tiger must be
near, rs the birds continued TO soar rest
leSsly over the spot without daring 10 de-
scend TO their prey. Shortly after we
have reached the northern slope of the
ridge refereed to, where the elephants
are ranged in n scmicirclc at a distance
of 25O yards from the top, the position of
hout" by an old, gray-headed shikarie,
who is evidentl y quite at home
IN the jungle. Adeborg and
myself are stationed on little
mound, whence we have fairly good
view Low shrubs, in some places form
ing to the eye impenetrable thickets, sur
round the spot in which our elephant
stone, and n single jungle covers the
slope IN the direction whence we EXPECT
the beaters. A ravine runs to our right
On the other side Oscar and Sandstorm
are posted; next to them an elephant
with some of the suite of the minister;
then Sala Yung himself, with Ali Beg
After whllc's anxious waiting, yells and
loud sounds of drums and cymbals are
heard in the distance, and in few min
,t,, Il ,,,l-, ,ft tlp-
pears on the brow of the hill. We now
rise IN the howdah, and, cooking our ex-
press rifles, sean every shrub in front of
us. 1t is becoming exciting, but still no
tiger is visible The beaters begin to
separate and break the line. Adelborg
and myself have just agreed that
there is no tiger within the line,
when suddenly the report of n gun
is heard from Salar Yungs elcghant,
indicating there is something up. 1t is
Ali Beg, who has shot ut tiger which is
attempting to break through at the side
of his elephant carrying the attendants of
the minister, and in n few seconds the re-
treating tiger is subjected to a veritable
pepperng from that quarter. We double
our attention, but tail to see anything
except the smoke from the guns. The
heaters again collect, but n number of
frightened coolies run terrified in all di-
rections, and even the elephants show
signs of flight, stamping and swinging
their trunks to and fro. In the mean
tune, however, Ali Beg seems to call us
by waving his hat and we beconed to our
mahout to urge the elephant forward,
delighted in the thought that there
might still be something for us to do, and
in few moments we are alongside Ali
Beg, who instantly jumps from his own
elephant into our howdah. The usually
calm and dignltied man trembles in every
limb with excitement He informs us in
brief sentence the tiger Is wounded and
ordered pursuit, But having advanced
few steps our elephant absolutely re-
fuses to 90 further, when Ali Beg pointed
to q thicket right in front of us, urging
forts L could not discover the tiger which
the experienced eye of the native had de-
tccted at once. Adelborg saw the animal
sneak away just as the elephant sud
denly turned round and retreated. How.
ever, a few we'll directed prods with the
pike of a mahout soon brought the ter
ritied animal round again, and now de-
tected the black barred tawny skin of a
tiger, lying under low bush near by,
ready to spring. pulled the trigger Just
as the anima! was on the point of spring
ing-at all events, so it seemed to me. 1t
was followed by shot from AdelborS's
gun, and supplemented by one from my
left barrel both of which hit the animal.
In the meantime the other elephants had
advanced concentrically toward the spot
where the tiger was supposed
shot followed upon shot from all Sides
The tiger attempted once more to rise,
but fell Immediately backward. The
king of the jungle lay dead at our feet!
We are gathered around the fallen
monarch, everybody had fred, and every
body tried, with more or less success to
trace his deadly bullet. Our booty was
fine male tiger, measuring nine ana a
hatf feet in length.
female tiger with two cubs had succeed
ed in breaking through the line in a
southwesterly direction, and, although
the chances seemed against us, it was de-
cided to attempt to drive little distance
from where we were, around. q cave,
whittier IT was assumed they had es-
capped. But the attempt proving fruit
less, we returned to our camp. Thus.
ended the first tiger hunt. | had not, iu-
deed, succeeded in behoding the king of
the jungle move freely and in full view,
but the excitement of expecting every
moment an attack from the infuriated
animal was in itself keen delight to a
sportsman.
We were splendidly accommodated in
lne llapllHcciL lenlS. on one size we
Swedes were quartered opposite our film
doc friends, and midway between us
stood the enormous assembly and dining
tents. Although we were nearly forty
miles from any human habitation-in
fact, in wilderness-we enjoyed every
luxury, as, for instance, beds with mos.
quito-nets, carpets dressing ia bles, chairs,
baths, and every other requisite in abun-
dance. Oscar and myself inhabited
tent which would have furnished ample
accommodation for regiment of sol
diers. At least one thousand men must
have been engaged in transporting our
camp to this spot, partly on their backs,
and partly ON carts, the long way through
the jungle-a striking illustration of how
little these oriental magnates value labor
and money when bent upon gratifying a
cherished pursuit..
A little after our return to the camp
the air was rent with deafening cries
wild shouts of joy mingled with the sound
of drums and cymbals; and in few min
utes the slain tiger is seen approaching,
stretched on the back of an elephant
and, surrounded by all the shikarie
swinging trophy over its head our
royal victim enjoyed all the hcuors OF a
trlumphal entry into the camp.
Dinner was, as may be imagined, con.
sumed in the best of spirits and the cham