Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-08-17
sHEPHERDSTOWN W. VA. FRIDAY, AUGUST II, 1888.

ry, Colonel Shaw OF the Nineteenth
Regiment, and Captain Smith, com
manding a battery attached 10 the
Eleventh Native Regiment, were al
lowed to accompany us, they having
permits of absence and desiring TO 90
on hunt. We occupied twelve days
OH our journey, which were without
startling incidents, and one afternoon
arrived in good shape at the village OF
Johpur. Without a hint TO me, and
in some manner yet unknown, the II
ger man had sent word on ahead, and
! the first thing we saw on entering the
village were six stout cages, which the
natives had constructed TO hold the
six tigers we had come for. 1t was a
case of providing the cage before the
bird was caught, and it settled my be-
| lief that Gwal was what he claimed 10
| be-
We received warm welcome at the
village, and aftera little the head man
told Inc further about the tiger man.
He had been found in the forest when
only couple of weeks old, and had
ever since been regarded as only half
human. He possessed a strange pow
er over wild or domestic animals, and
had several times compelled man-eat-
ing tigers to follow him into and about
the village like dog. When | asked
why he had not used this power To
clean the district of its many pests, he
explained that Oval when thus mag
netizing a beast, was deprived of his
physical strength TO such an extent
that he could do them no injury. That
evening just at sundown we had fair
example of his wonderful powers. One
of the largest and tiercest hyenas |
had ever seen suddenly appeared on
the edge of the thicket, about three
hundred feet away, and stood and
gazed at us, and bristled up with an
ger. Gwal was called for, and he start
ed for the beast at an ordinary gait
At first the beast acted as if it meant
to attack him. Then it showed signs
of running away. Then, as he drew
nearer, it crawled and began to whine,
and we saw that it was terrified. The
man uttered some words we did not
catch and started TO return and 10! the
hyena crept at his heels, tail dragging
on the ground, and its whole demean-
O" that of abject fear. Gwal walked
past us and around us, between the
huts and around them; and the beast
gave us no attention whatever. 1t
painted as if after hard run, and one
could see that it was actually suffer
ing. When Gwal had satisfied us he
led the hyena to the outskirts of the
village, pointed to the thicket, and
exclaimed CO. and the beast SUNK
off as if in fear of its life.
Wonderful! wonderfully gasped
each one of us in turn.
1t was more like a miracle Oval
stood near us, leaning up against
tree as if greatly worn out, and when
we went over to him we found him
covered with perspiration. The old
woman, with whom he had made his
home, led him away after little, and
we saw no more of him until next
morning. Before we turned in for the
night the head man told us that at
least four man-eating tigers had their
haunts within radius of ten miles,
and that we should depend upon
Oval, and let him manage as he
thought best. There was no need OF
firearms, and Gwal would sooner or
later find an occupant for each cage.
He talked of caging up full-grown Ii
gers as carelessly as another man
would of trapping house rats, but he
knew the tiger man better than we
did.
At sunrise next morning Oval was
all right had agreed to pay him
S15 per month and his keep when he
set out with us. This was a magnifi-
cent sum in the eyes of native, but
| now told him that if he preferred |
would give him 800 for six tigers.
He jumped at the offer, and his first
move was to run TO the bank Of the
river and bargain with the owner of
a rude but seawarthy barge to float
the six cages down to tide water on
the eastern side of the peninsula for
us. The distance by river was all OF
400 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 a sum equal to about thir-
teen American dollars. When | told
him / would make it $50 he came near
sinking down in his astonishment,
and for an hour or two moved about
like one in a dream. Here then, we
had prepared our cages, contracted
for our passage, and none OF us had
vet seen so much as the tip end of
tigers tail After breakfast when we
were ready to move, Gawl said TO me:
Il know the lair of a couple Of Ii
gers. 1t 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 a noise.
Let one of the cages be placed under
that tree over there, and in couple
of hours it shall be occupied by fine
tiger. The last time | saw him he
had a sore ear. II should now be
we'll
1t made us stare hard at each other
TO hear a man talking that way, but
l had the cage carried to the spot des
ignated, and Oval took his leave of