St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-11-03

1AAS tlue were LII permanent CaIup Iii d
grove Of mango trees on the bank Of a
creek, when a ryot. or common iaborer,
passed through our camp OH his way to his
village. about five miles away. lie 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 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. In about
three hours he returned to tell me that
he had been mistaken in the location.
which was to the south instead Of the
rocks. was not deceived by his second
statement. He wanted to keep ME away
from the ruins, and of course was de.
termined to visit them.
If went, must go alone. Neither
the professor nor his young man had ever
fired at anything more ferocious than O
jacLal, 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 IS an old
man eater, who had carried off many vii
layers, and. as must visit the ruins 10y
day, he would certainly be ut home.
Bright and early next morning l was
ready to start. by excuse to the profess
sor was that intended to look for GER
tain bird which he had been very anxious
to secure, and he never noticed that took
my heavy rife instead Of n shotgun. ]
also had revolver and knife, and it
was not more than an hour after sun
rise when set out. I followed the creek
Gown to where it hranclled. and there
struck the path which the native had de-
scribed. AS near Us / could determine it
had been made by wild animals coming
and going between the jungle and the
creek, and at the first soft spot found
the inprints of the tigers paws. They
were fresh, too, and there was no doubt
CT his being at home. AS proceeded
the path wound about in the most eccan-
trio manner, while the jungle grew
thicker. One could not see five feet in
any direction and the OR was shut OF.
The first hint that / had reached the
ruins came in tho shape Of block of
dressed stone lying right across my path.
AS stepped upon it u great cobra wrig
gled slowly away from my feet, and
saw half dozen columns and lengths Of
wall arising among the bushes. Fifteen
years before here had been a clearing of
perhaps 100 acres, with q village Of
several thousand people and temple
covering half an acre Of ground. a man
eating tiger now held sole possession,
while the clearing had grown up to
jungle, and fire or explosion had laid
the great temple in ruins. Ten feet ahead |
of ME was second block. / passed to |
that. and then the path turned to the
right and ran over fallen wall. AS !
reached this latter place and looked |
around, the tiger was stretched out on the
earth before me in little open space.
His legs were drawnup 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 a man he had killed
and only half devoured, and in finishing
his repast he had met his fate. He had
doubtless just returned from satisfying
his thirst at the creek. It was well for
me that ! did not come few minutes
earlier. I examined the body closely and
found the tiger to be old and NANCY, with
many of his teeth decayed. These were
sure evidences that he was SOLITARY"
and had no mate. I need, therefore,
have no fear that any other animal moro
savage than hyena was concealed in the
vicinity.
The temple seemed to have been blown
up with guupowder. The walls were
torn and rent and knocked down in every
direction, and column and block and
carved work lay heaped together in
strange confusion. was bewiidered to
see the vegetation growing up through
tho ruins SO profuseiy, and it stood me
in hand to move carefully in such a
snake infested spot. | picked my way
to the center of the ruins and
here got pretty fair idea Of what the
building had been. Here were the re-
mains OF 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 ike
looking for needle in haystack; but
had come for that purpose and felt
hat / must make beginning. Fling
ng several stones into the bushes to
'righten any lurking serpents away. /
put down my gun and began at the
Keepers. In little while ] uncovered
what | said was an altar or shrine.
t may not have been. From the stone
loor there was solid wall about four
Get high, ine.osing space about six
Get square. The stone which rested on
hese four walls was foot thick, and
arred around the edges. I couli not
ell whether TIE walls inc!osed space or
ne whole cube was solid es support
or pillar, Iut after close inspection
discovered spot where the end Of
ever might be inserted. had brought
Ratchet to help me through the jungle.
With this cut and trimmed small
rec, and after much effort loosened the
apstone until could see that the walls
lclosed space. On the surface Of this s
apstone clearly made cut where the
DOT OF a pillar, which had probably I
elped to support the roof, had rested. {
! lay near By, but was broken by its :
Ill.
1t was not more than o'clock in the
corning when reached the ruins, but
was O'Clock ii the afternoon before i
ad the heavy stone slowed around far [
nough to meet its equilibrium and force t
to fall off. was in trerable OF ex- Q
ten,ent from the first, and as slowed !
re stone further and further around I d
1t more and more sang,1ine Of large :
aSity beneath, l would not look in. :
owever, uptil'ase stone was clear OF.