Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-11-12


had been out about twenty days and at
this time were IN permanent camp 10
grove Of mango trees on the bank Of a
creek, when q ryot. or common laborer,
passed through our camp on his way to his
village, about Eve miles away. He had
had narrow escape from tiger, and was
greatly excited. When ] asked him to
locate the beast he placed him among the
ruins Of an old temple to the west OF us
and not more than two miles away. The
ruins were in Q heavy jungle, but he told
me how to strike path which led near
them. But for his excitement he would
not have betrayed the location. Inabout
three hours he returned to tell me that
he had been mistaken in the location,
which was to the south instead OF the
west and il he had said ruins he meant
rocks. Twas not deceived by his second
statement. 10 wanted to keep me away
from the ruins, and Of course ! was de-
ternined TO visit them.
If went, must go alone Neither
tho professor nor his young man had ever
fired at anything more ferocious than
jackal, and they had no idea of risking
themselves with tiger. / had killed two
or three during my jaunts about the
country, and was quite certain of my
nerve In case Of another meeting. The
native had described this tiger as an old
man eater, WHO had carried off many vii
layers, and, as must visit the ruins by
day, he would certainly be at home.
Bright and early next morning / was
ready TO start. Ny excuse to the profess
Sor was that intended to look for GER
taAa bird which he had been very anxious
tesseuse. and he never noticed that too&
my kORTy ride instead Of q shetgun. ]
Rlse bad . rsvolver and knife, and it
Na@e not mere thHa &n hour afbeT san
Sdse when se< Ost. ! followed DE oSecl
down to where it branched, and there /
struck the path which the native had de-
scribed. As near as could determine it
had been made by wild animals coming
and going between the jungle and the
creek, and at the frst soft spot found
the imprints of the tigers paws. They
were fresh, too, and there was no doubt
Of his being at home. AS proceeded
the path wound about in the most occen-
trio manner, while tho jungle grew
thicker. Ono could not sec five feet in
any direction and the air was shut off.
The first hint that / had reached the
ruins came in the shape of block Of
dressed stone lying right across my path.
AS stepped upon it q great cobra wrig-
gled slowly away from my feet, and /
saw half q dozen columns and lengths of
wall arising among the bushes, Fifteen
years before here had been q clearing of
perhaps 100 acres, with village d
several thousand people and temple
covering hOR an acre OF ground A man
eating tiger now held solS possession,
while the clearing had grown up tc
jungle, and fire or explosion had laid
tho great temple in ruins. Ten feet ahead
of me was n second block. passed to
that, and then the path turned to the
right and ran over a fallen wall. AS
reached this latter place and looked
around, the tiger was stretched out on the
earth before MO in little open space.
His legs were drawn up and he was gasp
ing, and, though / was greatly startled
for a moment, soon realized that he
was dying. Indeed, he did not live above
two minutes after set eyes on him. AS
| afterward learned, the natives had
poisoned the body of q man no had killed
and only half devoured, and IN finishing
his repast ho had met his fate. He had
doubtless just returned from satisfying
his thirst mt the creek. 1t was we'll for
me that did not como few minutes
earlier. examined the body closely and
found the tigor TO be old and NANCY, with
many Of his teeth decayed. These were
sure evidences that he was q SOLITARY"
and had no mate. need, therefore,
have no fear that any other animal more
savage than hyena was concealed In the
vicinity.
The temple seemed to have been blown
up with gunpowdcr. The walls were
torn and rent and knocked down in every
direction, and column and block and
carved work hy heaped together in
strange confusion. was bewildared 10
soc the vegetation growing up throuSh
the ruins SO pofusely. and it stood me
in hand to move carefully In such
snake infested spot, ! picked my way
carefully to the center of the ruins and
here got pretty fair idea of what the
building had been. Hero were the re-
mains of q shrine or altar which had
once been the cleanest Of marble. 1t
was now stained and moss grown and
covered with creepers. To look for
buried treasure in such jungle was like
looking for a needle in haystach; but
| had come for that purpose and felt
that l must make beginning. Fling
ing several stones into the bushes to
brighten any lurking serpcrrs away,
put down my gun and began at the
cgeepers. III little while | uncovered
what / said was an altar or shrine.
1t may not have been. From the stone
floor there was solid wall about four
feet high, inclosing space about six
feet square. The stone which rested on
these four walls WAS foot thick, and
carved around the edges. could not
tell whether the walls inolosed q space or
the whole cube was solid as 4 support
for pillar, but after close inspection |
discovered a spot where the end of
lever might be inserted. l had brought
q Ratchet to help me through the jungle.
With this cut and trimmed small
tree, and after much effort ioosened the
capstonc until could see that the walls
4 r 4 =