The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-08-10
THE KING OF BEASTS.
The Tiger, Not the Lion, Fairly En-
titled to the Name.
His Great Courage. Strength and superior
Activity-An Adept In Strategy and
Cunningham Engiishmans
Adventure in
Cave.

For several reasons the tiger is fairly
entitled TO the name of king of Beasts"
an honor which has long been borne by
The lion. He is more courageous than
the lion, fully equals him in strength.
and possesses superior activity. He
makes less noise while seeking his
prey. and is consequently more danger
our than the lion, and he attacks ami
mails from which the so-called king"
will fee as soon as he knows of their
presence. The lion often displays down.
right cowardice, which is not the case
with the tiger, and in strategy and cum
ming the tiger is an adept.
Tigers are far more destructive than
lions, both among men and the lower
animals. Ordinarily they do not attack
men, but as they grow old and are UNI
able to cope with deer, buffalos and cat
lie, they are apt to become man-eaters.
They lie in wait by the roads and paths
and spring on the unsuspecting natives.
whom they generally kill at the first
blow of their powerful paws. Having
once tasted human flesh. and learned
how easily it is obtained, they continue
10 be man-eaters as long as they live. A
single man-eating tiger will depopulate
a large area, as the natives fee in ter
ror, and can not be induced to work in
the fields or pass along the roads.
In one district of India man-eating
tiger killed one hundred and twenty
seven persons in a short time. and
caused acomplete suspension of business
for several months. Another tiger
killed one hundred and fifty persons in
three years. compelled the abandon
ment of many villages, and threw two
hundred and fifty square miles of land
out of cultivation. The Government
offered one thousand dollars for the
head of this tiger. and he was finally
killed by an officer of the army.
Tigers are hunted in variety of
ways. The Oldest plan. said to have
originated with the Chinese two or three
thousand years ago. is to place look
ing-glass inside a trap which has a
heavy beam suspended above it. The
tiger sees his own face in the mirror.
and takes ii for another animal of his
race. He rushes forward to attack il,
and in 50 doing springs the trap and the
falling beam crashes him with its
weight.
He Is caught in pitfalls. shot from
Mychans or stands erected near his
path. and baited with a goat or sheep
which is tied at a little distance. and he
Is killed by means of poisoned arrows
discharged by bows set in his path and
let off when touched. In some parts of
India several large leaves covered
with sticky substance are placed
in his path; he steps on one and tries to
remove it by rubbing his paw on his
face The leaf adheres to his face and
blinds him. and in his struggles he rolls
on the ground and more and more
leaves are added. He roar-s with anger,
and the hunters, who have been con-
cealed a few hundred yards away. come
with their weapons, and despatch him.
While in India was invited to a tiger
hunt on a grand scale. after the manner
usually practiced when Europeans are
concerned. Nearly hundred elephants
We're drawn up in line at the edge of a
jungle where the tigers were supposed
tobe concealed; the hunters were seated
in the hOwdahs on the backs of the ele-
plants. and held their guns ready for
the work as soon as the game should
come in sight. Several natives were
sent 10 the other side of the Jungle to
act as heaters and drive the tigers in
the direction of the hunters They
made great noise with horns and
other instruments. and kept up con-
tinual popping of guns; OF course the
din thus created caused the tigers to
fee 10 the other side of the jungle. which
appeared to be the safest. that where
the hunters were waiting for them
Six tigers in all were killed. but fully
as many more escaped. Some of the ele-
plants became frightened, and their
drivers lost control of them for a short
time, but fortunately no accident oc-
CURED. Sometimes elephants run away.
and the men in the howdahs are dashed
against the limbs of trees or thrown
to the ground.
Two hunters usually occupy single
howdah on one of these expeditions.
Fortune threw me into the companion
shipof an experienced hunter. an officer
who had lived some thirty odd years in
India, and was passionately fond of the
tiger-chase- He told me many stories
OF his hunting adventures, which | have
no space for here, with the exception of
one which related how he once went to
sleep in tigers den.
Hunting tigers with elephants is
fairly dangerous" said he. ..5ut there
Is a way far more risky than this: all of
US Englishmen who come to India do it
in our early days. but generally give it
up after a few trials. with the exception
of a small minority who have the real
sportsman's blood in them. refer to
hunting on foot, and pursuing the tiger
into his haunts.
Generally two of us club together,
and hire anywhere from twenty to a
hundred natives, with an old shekarry
or chief huntsman at the head. The
shekarry leads the party, and directs