Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-09
THE INDIAN MAN EATER.

The man eaters do not SSSu 10 DC us
appearing as rapidly as might be ex-
pected under English dominion IN India,
and many thousands of people are annu-
ally made victims. The tigers even
Turk along the highways and deVour the
native postmen. Or how the dangerous
beasts are sometimes destroyed is told In
the following account by late Wrltsr:
While sitting in the little depot at Jooa
one afternoon, in conversation with the
station agent, Freight No. IL" from
Madras, came in on the siding opposite
to wait for the Bombay express to pass.
Attached to the long train of rioe car0
were several fats, some with "daks" on
them, others with palanquins, and on
the hindermost very odd looking object
which at once attracted our attention
the more that there seemed to be man
INSIDE it.
"What have you got on that rear car,
Fales?" my friend, the agent called out
to the conductor of the freight.
sYou've got me now" replied that
official with a laugh. CHATS non
descript. No name on it. Billed to Yu-
Ioodlan. Walk up and see for yourselves,
gentlemen. That is the shipper inside;
name Geeter Zoom Joogr, by trade a
tiger killer. But you won't find him
laxative.
The "nondescript" was round, cage
like structure, some II feet IN diameter,
6 or Z in height. The bottom was of
black timber, and the fiat top of the
same but not quite so massive, while the
sides were of thick, straight, brown BAN
boo rods or bars, set upright like stanch-
ions in the black bed pieces, with spaces
betwixt them or inches wide. In
short, it was a heavy round cage made
years and years ago, and of curious work
manship.
But the old native inside it was still
greater curiosity. He was arrayed IN a
dirty blue cotton frock and drawers or
trousers of the same stuff. His feet were
bare-such feet! They were shrunken,
bony and Of such a shiny wine brown hue
as to give one the idea that they had been
caIcined over slow fire. The man was
bareheaded, too, and what Is not common
among Hindoos, his hair thin and IN part
gray, was braided in a cue down his back.
The tightness of the skin across his brows
mified expression, hardly relieved by the
deep, dull black eyes and coarse, thin
eyebrows, while the lower part of his face
was curiously marked with still coarser.
crinkled hairs, too scattering to be term
ed beard.
His general con- plexion w&s like an old
withered walnut. From the elbow down
his arms were bare, and they seemed
mere parcels of bone and sinew bound
tightly up in sun dried hide, while his
lean fingers, like claws, Terminated IN
nails an inch or more long. Indeed, in
matter of personal appearance Mr.. Gee
ter Zoom Joogr was one of the very
hnp I huu
ever CHANGED TO meet in any country.
Set against the side of the cage were
two short spears or lances five or six feet
in length, with handles of some black
wood and their sharp, slender points of
bright steel, which snone like silver.
These blades or points were of them
selves nearly or quite two feet long--alto,
gether very ugly looking weapons.
few stolid responses were all that |
could elicit from the man by questions
He said or rather admitted, that he was
going to Yooludian to kill tiger, snd
that killing man eaters was his business
Fifty rupees were his price tor killing g
dangerous tiger.
He had made this his business foI
twenty years since the Sepoy war. [ felt
very curious to know how the old man
hunted, and asked permission TO go up
60 Yuloodian and participate in the hunt
To this request he made no reply for
awhile, but upon my urging it several
times at length said: "The sahib can
suit himself"
Just then the express whistled in, and
as soon as it had passed the freight, and
with it old Geeter and his cage, moved
on.
Late in the afternoon, after my duties
on the section were over for the dey,
went up on the way freight to Yuloodian
taking my Remington carbine and stock
of cartridges. 1t was dusk and the huts
were closed, but by dint of knocking and
shouting learned where the tiger hunter
had located his cage. l found it short
distance beyond the village. After some
parley L was admitted through little
trap door in the top, which was securely
fastened again, but my reception was 6
most ungracious one. He grumble6
ominously in the native tongue of my
disturbing the night and breaking the
spells.
Besides cur two selves in the cage there
was the carcass of a goat to attract the
tiger. Hour after hour of the damp
warm, dark night we sat crouched motion
less there. Old Geeter neither spoke MOI
moved. but / could hear him breathe
Once we heard q short, querulous roar
which I supposed to be that of tiger a.
distance, but no tiger came near thai
night The next night took q bird cal
with ne I had intended to initiate the
bleating of kid, thinking thus to attract
the tiger, but rejecting after few trial:
\ that this was tiger with taste fol
human flesh, began to counterfelt the
crying of child, which found no diff
cult matter when once l had got thu
right key for it. said nothing to OLE
Geeter of my trick when L reaches
Yuloodian that evening, but joined hin
as before.
The night was very still. Several times
the weird cry of devotee in the dlstan
village of Razotpore came family TO ou
ears for many miles. The stars shon.
down with misty luster. 1t was yer.
danny, yet warm.
Orce cloud of green, sparkling fir,
flies came, and drifting in bstwi1t tn
stout bars of the cage, fairly lighted i
With their binding fires. Later dole
fulIy bowling pack of iacksls svept pas