Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-06-24
Major Monsoon's Tiger Story.

frst rate brand, but not quite the
sort l keep for my own smoking-and
pass the brandy; thank you; your
brandy's good brandy, my dear boy,
but not very good brands. One can't
expect it at the seaside"
The Major took another cheroot
from the frail but odorous dark cedar
box, bound with red; he also conde-
scendingly filled himself particularly
stiff third tumbler of brandy and wa
ter, Isay brandy and water, but the
expression is scarcely correct, for, as
he told me, ever since fit of hydro
phobia at Kollywallah, up at the foot
OF the hill country, he had acquired a
strong dislike to water, and a crate
iul recollection of the brandy which
had preserved his valuable life.
The Major was full habited, mid
die sized, middle aged man, with a
bruised, hattish, red face, rather star
ing blue eyes, and noisy, good hum
ored, impudent manner that nothing
could daunt. He wore a straw hat
with blue band. an immense gilt
double eyeglass, tied with broad
black ribbon, a loose light suit OF a
pale nan'een color, very small dane
ing shoes, and carried large silver
mounted Penang lawyer" fscarce-
ly knowhow Ipicked up thegallant of
ficer, but on the eighth day OF my stay in
Ramsgate ! had got so tired OF
shrinps, raffies, bathing, using tele-
scope, and stopping around on weedy
rocks, that had begun to look out
for companion on the Esplanade
seats. But he whom looked for in
vain there met me unsought. in the
billiard rooms on the cliff. At that
genteel establishment / found the
major laughing. talking, telling stories,
executing unparalleled carroms, betting
condescendingly with very Juvenile
boating mel, and drinking brandy
pawnee, at some young amateur COM
modore's expense, with a manner rs
totally free from pride as it was radi-
ent with the urbanity of the officer and
the traveller
The major was one OF those indie
scribable men who can be seen any
day between four and dark, looking
into the cigar shops in Regent street,
lounging about the doors of billiard
rooms in Leicester square, doing on
seats in st. James Park, or reading
the American news with a severe air
in Wild's reading room; an indefinite
man of indefinite occupations. An
ldier tired of himself could not, how
ever, have discovered a more talka-
tive, CHEEKY, rattling, good-natured
companion than the major. He had,
like myself, apparently found Rams
gate dub, for he lost no opportunity
in cultivating my acquaintance, and,
as he lodged only three doors from me
in Seaside Terrace, there was seld ON
an evening when the major did not
drop in to take his coffee and smoke
his cigar in my balcony.
1t was on the fourth evening OF our
acquaintance that the major, having
lighted his fourth cheroot and mixed,
as have said, his third glass of bran
dy and water, sank down luxuriously
in rocking chair, tucked his legs by
q violent exertion flor / should men,
ton that he was a little lame) on a
second chair, and, with an air of al.
most sultanic enjoyment, commenced
the following story OF one OF his most
remarkable achievements in the hunt
ing field
Twenty years ago" said the major,
al commanded detachment of my
native regiment, The Fighting Hall
Hundred las we were called, from our
behavior in the Burmese war; at a
little village called Kollywallah, IN
the northeast corner of the Jabbal-
pore district of the Bengal presidency.
1t was near jungle full of tigers; and
as we soon put down the paltry tax
riots that had brought US to Kolly-
wallah, and time began to hang heavy
on our hands, and Twentyman, the
only other officer, naturally took to
tiger hunting, which exciting amuse-
ment soon became a passion with us.
In six months there was not a ryot at
Kollywallah who did not know me as
s'the Great Shikarree," and it was all
could do to prevent the people from
worshiping me and my hunting ele-
phant, 'Ramchunder.'
"One morning, when Twentyman
was down with jungle fever, and was
sitting by his side reading Charles
O'Malley' in the balcony of our bunga-
low, which gave on the cantonment,
heard a great noise as of crowd OF
natives trying to force their way in
past my native servants. Poor
Twentyman, who was fretful with
want of sleep, beginning to groan and
complain at the noise, / ran out with
my big hunting whip, and licking the
niggers all round, asked them what
they meant by making such cursed
ooise.
"Choop ruho ekdum' be silent inn
mediately') | shouted.
''The kitmutgar, an old gray-headed
fellow who had been butler to my
father, the General, came salaaming
forward when he saw me, and said:
"Sahib, sahib, the country people
from Moonje have come to ask sahib
to come and shoot white tiger-a
maneater-which has already killed
an old woman, six children and ten
bullocks.'
''Out / went, just rs was, in my
slippers, and sure enough at the gate
OF the compound, if you'll believe me,
there were about 100 natives, salaam-
ing, tom tomming, and playing the
Mahadeo to soften the sahib's neart
and induce him to listen to them and
come and kill the white tiger. | prom
ised to do what could, if they would
supply heaters, and would be ready
az the Jungle next day with their usu-
al heathenish and unsportsmanlike
paraphernalia of native drums, bells,
horns and metal pans with stones IN
them. OF they went, throwing SOM
ersaults and shouting like children
calling me every blessed name they
could lay their tongues on, and prom
Using to muster in force at the place
appointed, though they were half OF
them tiger worshippers at Moonle and
| would not have let me kill the animal
IL he hadn't turned q 'man-eatsr.'
Back went to Twentyman, who
was sitting up in bed, more cheerful,
eating some fruit.
What's the row, Jack?' eaid he,
quite in his old voice.
al told him that the people OF
Moonie wanted me to go and kill
'maneater5 but / didn't like leaving
him.
"sThen you go, old boy. said he for
DR.. Johnson came in just as you left,
and says I'm twice the man l was
Yesterday; I'll get along well enough
with a book and cheroot or two.
rand may take your double bar
relied breech-loader?"
".Of course; anything have,
Monsoon. Johnson says Moonie has
been full of tigers ever since the last
pa;.b took tn prsServine Them and