Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-09
THE TIGER MAN.

When at Bombay fn ISo9, making prepara- tons to 60 up the country and fill an order for six tigers for Amsterdam, g very singular parsonage crossed my path. I had been ill India for two years as the agent of the great German animal house and had sub-agents ill . dozen districts We were constantly for wx<ding serpents, jackalls, hyenns, wolves, huRaloes, tigers, and such curiosities as fell an extra order. The order for ''six wild, full grown tigers males preferred" came from Egypt. Messages were sent to sub-agents, and got ready for a trip to tho northeast among the tiger jungles. One afternoon a stranger was announced under the name of GwaL He was tall, stiff appearing figure, moving with all tho dig nifty of prince, but his face was so horribly disfgured that l couldn't reprcss n start of surprise He had been born with a single eye, and that almost in the center of his face. His nose was like that of a dog, and bis mouth was wide, almost without lips, and full of fangs He moro of a freak than Jo-Jo, the dog faced and would have been 8 | great card M H museum He expected to see ma start with surprise, and he expected me to look at him with surprise. He gave me plenty of time, and then, lowing very low, be said:
 Il am told the sahib is hunter of beasts"
 "Yes" [
 "You capture them aliveT" |
 "Yes"
 "I should like {. go with you. I am called the Tiger Man. am not afraid of any wild beast. >n nni-i,al dares attack me"
 He informed mo t:.ct he had come from a village called j":!!r,:. o:l tEe Gadavery river, 200 miles away. cHl t.lct scores of people would vouch inr tho truth of his statements. Twice within the year l had heard of this man and his wonder u dongs, but had put no faith in the stcr:CS, That be possessed wonderful magnetism over the animal crea- sion he soon gave nl" proofs, The next bunga- low the right WAS occupied by Capt. Richard Taylor, of the Fifty first Native in tantry. He had :ag~ dog chained up in the rear of the house ~he brute was dan gerous, and ted no l. ':l free from his chain for two months. The servants had to throw him his food, and oven tho captain dared not go within reach
 "lf you ara tiger man you are not afraid of n savage doSF 1 ,ucried ns he finished statement of his wonderful powers.
 Lead mo To tlc b,ast" he curtly replied.
 The captain was a: home, and went over and told him of tnc natives presence. Then we called tho man cTcr, and after the cap tain had Satis!i:';l hi: curiosity he said to him:
 You may he q brave man, bat do not ex- pose yourself My dog will kill you if you go nenr him. shal have him shot this week" .
 Your dog will cowcr and whine" soberly answered Gwal
 Well, tn" risks be on your own head"
 We passed around the bungalow and through gate, and tho dog, who was about fifty feet away at onco srranss up and tug ged savagely at his chain. There could be no doubt of his savage fury. His eyes blazed, he frothed at the mouth and his efforts to break the stout chain filled me with alarm The native waited a minute before showing himself. As soon as he stepped in front of us there was change in the dogs demeanor Indeed, he seemed to dodge, if a missile had passed close to his ear. The native slowly approached, and before he was within ten feet of him the dog was down on his belly and uttering whines for mercy. Gwal un- fastened the collar on his neck, spoke three or four words in a low voice and then walked about, and the dog followed at his heel Such . change from savage fury to utter servility was astounding. It was plain that the dog was cowed and afraid and that Gwal had wonderful powers. He approached us and es he Came close up the dog never raised his eyes to give us look. He kept his eyes on tremble of fear.
 "Is the sahib satisfledi~ quietly asked Gwal at the end of ten minutes
 "Yes"
 He read justed the collar, and the dog slunk into his box, so cowed and overcome that 6 child might have used a whip on him. While this adventure with tho dog did not prove that Gwal would have equal success with wild beasts, l saw that he was valuable man for our party, and at once engaged him. He stated that the district from which be came was infested with many large serpents and wild beasts, and his suggestions as to our pro- ceedings were very businesslike and valuable Besides tho six of us regularly engaged in the traffic, Maj. Lawrence, of the Eighth Light cavalry; Col Shaw, of the Nineteenth regi- mont, and Capt. Smith, commanding bat tery attached to the Eleventh native regi- ment, were allowed to accompany us, they having permits of absence and desiring to 20 on hunt. We occupied twelve days on the journey, which were without startling incl dent, and one afternoon arrived in good shape at the village of Johpur Without a hint to me, md in some manner yet unknown, the Tiger Man had sent word on ahead and tho first thing we saw on entering the village
 were six stout cages. which the natives had constructed to hold the Stx tigers we had
 come for. It was case of providing the l cage before the bird was caught, and it set tied my belief that Gwal was what ne claimed to be.
 We received a warm welcome at the viii 1 ,lage, and after a little the head man told me
 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 strange ! power over wild or domestic animals, and
 had several times compelled man eating
 tigers to follow him into and about the vii lage like dog. When asked why he had
 not used this power to clear the district of its
 many dangerous pests, he explained that
 Gwai, when thus magnetizing a beast, wal
 deprived of his physical strength to such ar
 extent that he could do them no injury Ina,
 evening just at sundown we had Q fair ex
 ample of his wonderful powers. One of tn.
 largest and fiercest hyenas I had ever seer
 suddenly appeared on the edge of the thicket
 about 300 feet away, and stood ane
 gazed at us, and hristled up with anger | Guvo1 col1ad for ~pj ho s%or+orY c.,