The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-24


grove Of mango trees on the bank Of n
creek, when ryot. or common laboror,
passed Throughout camp on his way TO his
village, about five miles away. He had
had "A narrow escape from tisH. and was
greatly excited. When | asked him to
locate the beast he placed him among the
ruins of an old temple - the west Of us
and not more tlian two miles away. Tho
ruins were in q heavy jungle, bat he told
me how to strike pa't which led hear
them. But for bis excitement h. would
rot have betrayed the location. Inabout
three hours he returned 10 tell me that
lac had been mistaken in the location.
which was 10 the south instead Of the
west and if he lad said ruins lie meant
rocks. was not deceived by his second
statement. He wanted to keep me away
from the ruins. and Of course | was dc
termined - visit them.
If | went. / must go alone. Neither
the professor nor his young man lad ever
fred 1T ANYTHING mere fcrocious than a
jackal. and they lad 10 idea Of risling
themselves with 4 tiger. ] had .kiiieliwo
OF three during NY iaunts about the
country and was quite cC-t.i. Of Fly
nerve in cas- Of another meeting. The
native had described this tiger as an old
man cater. who had carried of many vii
Iagers, and a. must visit TIE ruins by
day, he would certainly b. at home.
Bright and carly next morning | was
ready t. start. ~ excuse q the profes-
sor was that intended 20 lool, for a GER
tain bird which he had been very anxious
to secure, and lie verEOiiccd that | took
my heavy rife instead Of shotgun. /
also had n revolver and knife. and it
was rot more than IN hour after sun
rise wien set out followed the creek /
down t. where it branched and there |
struck The path which the native had de- /
scrlbed. A. rear as | could determine il /
had been made by wild animals coming |
and going between Tic jungle and the /
creek, and at the first soft spot | found /
the imprints Of the tiger 5 paws. They /
were fresh, too, and there was no doubt
of his being at home. As | preceded
the path wound about in the most cccen-
tric manner, while the jungle grew
thicker One could not See five feet in
any direction and tie ar was shut of.
The first hint that bad reached the
ruins came in the shape Ct block Of
dressed stone lying right across my path.
A | stepped upon il a great cobra wrig-
gled slowly away from Iy feet, and |
saw half a dozen columns end lengths Of
wall arising among the bi;5Acs Fifteen I
years before here had been q clearing of
perhaps 100 acres, with q village Of
several thor.aDd people and temple
covering half IN acsc Ct 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 teniplc in ruins. Ten feet ahead
Of me wG5 a second block. passed to
that, and thea TIC path turned to the
right and ran over fallen wall. As
sached this latter place and looked
around the tiger was stretched out opthe
earth before me in a lit,ie open space.
Ills legs were drawn up and lie was gasp
ing, ard, though | was greatly startled
for a moment, / soon realized that he |
Yves dying. Indeed, h. did not live above 5
two minutes after &c. eyes on him As |
aftcrward learned, the ns.lvcs had !
poisoned the body f a man Ec had killed
and only hall deyourei. and in finishing /
lis repast he had net bis fate. He had |
doubtless just returned from satisfying |
Dis thirst ut the creek. Ii was well for G
ne that ! dl. rot come few minutes :
'arlicr. examined the body closely and >
'ound the tiger 20 bc old and NANCY, with ;
many Of his teeth Gecaycl. These were a
iure evidences that he was q SOLITARY" l
nd lad no mate. | need, therefore,
lavo 10 fear Tat any other animal more
avasc than hyena W., concealed in the
-icinity. 4
The temple <emod TO have been blown "
up with gunpowGcr The walls were !.
om and rent and knocked down in every i
Erection, and column and block and u
arycd work lay hcaped together in Il
TRANCE cshfusion. was bewldercd to V
&c the vegetation growing up through p
he ruins so profusely. and it stood me :
n hand TO move carefully in such D
make infested spot. | picked my way &c
arcfully TO the center of the ruins and D
icrc got pretty fair idea Of what the p
uilding had been. Here were the re- a.
mains of shrine or altar which had H.
nee been the cleaneSt Of marble. 1t II
ras now stained and moss grown and ~
oycred with creepcrs. To look for ID
uried treasure in such jungle was like Sc
boxing for a needle in haystack but ID
had como for that purpose and felt q,
hat | must make a beginning. Fling u
rs several stones into the bushes to 81
righten any lurking serpents away, | ri
ut down my gun and began at the y"
Keepers. In little while | uncovered III
'hat | said was an altar or shrine. III
may rot have been. From the stone &C
ocr there vas a scJI wall about four Ill
set high, inclosing a space about six -
'et square. The stone which rested on
lcsc four walls was foot thick, and
Tyed around the edges. | could not
II whether the walls incloscd space or so
lc whole cube was solid as q support lie;
u pillar, but after close inspection DO
scoyered spot where the end Of
yer might be inserted. had brought bu
Ratchet 10 help me through the Jungle ch
it'll this | cut and trimmed a small soe
ee and after much effort | loosenel the
l,- toDo until coull go that tho ,-alls Ga.