Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-08
THE RICHMOND DISPATCH SUNDAY. JULY 5. 1888

haunts within radius Of ten miles, and
that We should depend upon Oval and
let him manage the campaign against
them as he thought best There was no
need OF firearms, and Oval would sooner
or later find an occupant for each cage.
he talked of caging up fun-grown tigers
as carelessly as another man would oil
trapping rats, but he knew the Tiger
Man better than we did.
At sunrise next morning Oval was all
right. had agreed to pV him Sl5 per
month and bis keep when h set out with
US. This was magnificent sum IN the
eyes OF native, but now told him that
il he preferred / would give him 500
for six tigers. BE jumped at the offer,
and his very first move was to run to the
bank OF the river and bargain with the
owner of rude but seaworthy barge
to float tho six cages down to tide
water on the eastern side OF the pc
ninsula for us. The distance by river
was all OF four hundred miles, and there
would be eight of US in the party. The
owner Of the craft agreed to take Us and
the tigers, feed us well, and employ two
extra helpers, for sum equal to about
thirteen American dollars. When told
him | would make it $50 he came near
sinking down in his establishment, and
for AN hour or two moved about like one
in dream. Here, then, we had pre-
pared our cages, contracted for our pas
ssge, and none of us had yet seen so
much as tho tip-end OF tigers tail.
After breakfast. when we were ready to
move, Oval said TO me:
81 know the lair of couple OF tigers
It is distant about an hour. / shall go
and bring in one. No one must come
with me and you must not fire your guns
or make q noise. Let one Of the cages
be placed under that tree over there and
in a couple of hours it shall be occupied
by fine tiger. The last time l saw
him he had sore ear. ltshould now be
well"
II made us stare hard at each other to
hear a man talking that way, but had
the cage carried to the spot designated,
and Oval took bis leave of us as II sim
ply going out to search for bee-tree.
When he had disappeared the head man
advised that the villagers go indoors and
keep quiet, and our band was divided IN
half and placed in trees where we could
plainly see the cage. Stray rumors OF
Gwa's wonderful magnetic powers had
reached the ears of the three British
officers, and they had seen the perform
ance with the hyena with eyes wide open,
but they were skeptical as to his pow
ers over a tiger. All of US were, for that
matter. The idea of man, no matter
what gifts he had, bringing fierce man.
eater to crawl on his belly was too abb
surd for belief. But Oval settled it to
our satisfaction as well as chagrin. In
two hours and twenty minutes after his
departure he reappeared, and rlshtat his
heels, and acting the same as the hyena
had acted, was the largest tiger l ever
saw. 1t was plain that the beast was
terrorized. A whipped puppy could
not have shown more seryiliiy. Oval
came along at a moderate gait,
swinging a hand on either side OF
him, and apparently paying no heed
to the tiger, but all those in our tree
we're sure we heard him mumbling under
his breath. The tiger never looked up,
nor to the right nor left, but kept Its
head down. As they halted at the cage
Oval threw up his hand as one does when
he wants a dog to jump, and the man.
eater bounded into the cage and cow
cred in a corner. The native secured
the door in leisurely manner aud then
approached us. We were now on the
ground, and as he came up we noticed
that he was in a tremble and very weak.
1.-The other one was not at home, but
shall have him tomorrow" he said.
Il will now lie down for a little time. q"
Could we believe our own eyes? We're
we dreaming? There was the living
proof of Gwal's wonderful powers, and
what could We say? We moved down to
the cage to get closer view OF the beast,
and the sight OF us and our presence
broke the strange spell. For the next
half hour the tiger was wild with fury,
and dozen different times it seemed to
us that he would regain his liberty.
Every bar held, however, and he finally
tired himself out and became more quiet
Oval slept until o'clock in the after
noou. when he came forth refreshed and
full of talk. The tiger was then raying
about his cage, but the instant the man
appeared lie covered and was as quiet as
n lamb. The next forenoon his mate
was brought in as no had been, and
within q week wo had four tigers. We
then moved to a spot about eighteen
miles away, and Oval brought in two
others, both males. His performance
was the same in each case, and in each
case his demeanor and that of the beast
was the same. 1t was magnetism de-
yeloped to wonderful degree. That
single eye of his was a blaze of fire
when he started out. We could all feel
his electricity. Protected as he was the
man had no fear of any living thing, and
twice l saw him pick up poisonous SER
penis and carry them along for half a
mile.
When the six tigers were slowed
on tho barge [ paid Oval his
500 and added $50 to it. He was not
to 20 with US, but in case l wanted more
tigers was to come to him. We went
down the river safely, and twice in after
years heard from this strange man. He
once shipped me four tigers on specula-
ton, and made neat sum by 1t. and
then came the news OF his death-torn
to pieces by tiger. The native WAC
gave me the news explained:
"When asleep he had no power. 1t
was the fire in his eye which cowed the
| baosts He foil asleen OutSida the hut