The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1888-04-12


e their guns and kill it. We listen t
O their tale of woe and then run the ca
e noes ashore. No mistake about it
d numerous pugs on the sand confirm
O the bamboo-cutters' news, so the bag
|. gage is landed and the tent pitched il
e the shade of the jungle.
q We have landed on belt of fores
r which during the monsoon is anisland
t for behind it there is another broa,
: curving sweep of sand, studded will
rocks and pools and strewn with teal
4 logs. Here and there the forest is di
$ vided by narrow creeks which mari
e the course Of the river when in flood
r Beyond the strip Of sand are lofty
5 hills, whose bamboo-covered slope
3 afford concealment to plentiful game
t for sambur tracks cross sand recross
the sand in every direction, the edge
Of one particular pool showing it te
be favorite resort of the deer fol
their nightly drink.
The place was beyond all doubt the
regular beat of a tiger, probably the
one of which Easton had heard the
the stories that had led to our expedi-
tion. Pugs old and recent formed
many definite well-trodden paths, one
of which ran within a few yards of
the bamboo-cutters' hut, though con-
cealed by jungle. He was certainly
not far off now, and we congratulated
ourselves on our luck in finding him
at home.
Returning to camp we find every
one hard at work on the construction
of "lean-to" of bamboos and grass,
under whose shelter our followers in
tend to pass the night.
Evening is closing in, and we must
delay the arrangement Of plan of
campaign until tomorrow, when we
can examine the locality. The diff
Guilty Of river-transport forbade our
bringing cows, and no one could be
foundwilling to seek path through
the jungle by which they might be
driven in this direction. Goats are
poor substitute for the larger cattle,
as we must sit over them all night,
for q tiger would carry off such
mere mouthful as soon as he had killed
it. A cow might be left secured in a
suitable spot and watched after it was
killed, for the tiger would take bite
or two from the throat and leave the
carcase until the following day, when
he might be expected to return late in
the afternoon to his meal. Apparent
ly the tiger rarely kills during the
broad daylight, and as seldom eats at
night; but | express this opinion with
diffidence, as my limited knowledge of
the species is confined to purely
"game" tigers, who exist solely on
deer, ETC., and never tax the village
cattle pens for their meat.
There is much difficulty as to the
disposal Of the goats tonight with
"Stripes'' in the immediate neighbor-
hood, and our decision to tether them
near the 'lean-to" is productive Of
good deal Of grumbling. Tie up goats
close beside poor naked boatmen!
Why they will cry all night and when
the tiger comes it will certainly take
a man instead; not doubt of it! Near
the tent now is a much safer place.
However we persuade them that there
is no danger (for there really is none),
and finally after lighting large fires
at four doints round the lean-to, the
occupants consent to picket the goats
to stakes near it.
The morning breaks cold and misty.
Surrounded as we are by mountains
the sun cannot fall on our encamp-
ment until late; but we were awak-
ened early by the weird bowling Of
the gibbon monkeys which were nu-
merous, though invisible, on the hills
across the river. We are soon dressed,
and drinking our coffee by the fire
round which the men are eongregated
shivering, with their blankets over
their heads.
A tour Of inspection is necessary
before we can make our arrangements;
and previous to starting | recall a
hint given me by a well-known shi-
kari in India and make up bundle
of clothes-shirt, trousers, and thick
coat-in a towel and give it to my
servant, Moung Tso, to hurry till even
ing. The earthly smell thus acquired
by the clothes renders the presence Of
humanity less likely to be detected by
the tiger.
To find trees adapted for machans
is our first care, and in such extensive
cover the only difficulty is to make a
choice. However we soon satisfy our
selves, and after getting some of the
men to work, go back to camp and
breakfast
The mist has cleared away and the
glare from the white sand drive Eas-
ton into the tent, where he lies smok-
ing until sleep overtakes him.
1t would never do to disturb the
jungle by shooting to-day, so | called
the young Burman, who owned the
decoy-cock, and told him we would 60
and catch jungle-fowl. Proud Of the
invitation, he armed himself with a