Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-10-17
THE MAN WOLF.

casions we bad received Ike reports, but
had given little attention to them The
superstitious natives of India have many
strange beliefs. One Of them is that
brother who has murdered a brother turns
into man wolf, and roams the jungles 100
wears "a a penance While they hold this
animal In fear and terror, as well they may,
they reason that II he is killed, another rela-
tive Of the family must take his place and
serve ont the remainder Of bis sentence.
Therefore, while they would talk to Us OF
these monsters, they were always very care
full not 10 l1cate them and bring them into
danger We had long before made up our
minds that there was nothing 50 very queer
In finding Wild man in the jung]es OF India
Children are carried OF by serni-wild men or
wild animals almost daily, and even the
civilized countries have their wild men roam
ing through the forests. We were willing to
nav round sum fof the capture Of a man
wolf, believing he would turn out 70 be only
a wild man, but at the same time greater
curiosity than a gorilla
We had been making our headquarters in
a village for several days. batting our traps
for hyenas and having natives on the lookout
for serpents, when one mid-afternoon got
into q hammock slung between two trees on
TO sleep. Ny two white men were already
asleep In hammocks some distance away, and
such Of the natives as were not out for US
were lying by TO pass the heat Of the day.
There we're two or three children playing at
the door Of a hut near me, but making little
or no noise It was as quiet as if spell had
been placed upon every inhabitant. had
not slept over half an hour when mosquito
bit me on tho cheek and started me up. | lay
on my right side, and through the meshes Of
the hammock could see the edge Of the jun
gle, about forty rods away The children
were still at play, and were hundred feet
nearer the jungle than | was Almost as
soon as opened my eyes | saw dark object
leap from the cover Of the thicket to the
shelter OF single bush on the cleared
ground II looked to me in the brief glimpse
| had like n gorilla / measured the leap
nftcrward with a tape line, and it was
twenty three feet
| did not start up, but rubbed my eyes
wide open to identify the strange creature.
1t had covered until could see nothing but
"a black spot, and it was two or three min
utes before it moved again Then it sud
denly eaped into view, bounded for the
children exactly as monkey leaps, and be
fore could call out it had seized little boy
about two and half years old, and was re
treating with him. 1t was on its hind legs,
both arms around the child, and running
with great swiftness. The body was naked
and hairy, but was convinced that it was
that Of u human being. | yelled out and
the creature whired about, raised the child
on high and, with a shrill scream of anger,
dashed it down on the hard baked earth with
terrible force. Then it shook its fists at the
villagers swarming out. and, dropping down
on all tours, bounded away into the jungle.
We found the child gasping its last That
fling had broken almost every bone in his
body. 1t was not until the villagers were
convinced that | had seen the creature and
was assured Of its identity that the head man
ncknowl lodged 1t to he man wolf, and that
it had long been a menace to the locality. 1t
was, he said, his cousin, who had killed
brother fifteen years before. As the creature
had now killed three children, against whom
1t seemed to have a particular spite, and as
its presence menaced the safety Of the vii
lage, he would give his consent for us to seek
its capture. | helped him to reach this CON
clusion by present valued at $50, and by
agreeing not to give tho matter away in any
other village
The first thing to be done was to learn the
habits OF the creature He was known to eat
meat, roots, banks and almost anything else
which came in his way He must sleep, but
no one could say when, as he had been seen
prowlinG around at all hours of the day and
night He was very strong and fierce, and
it was doubted if one of the tiger cages
would hold him. We decided to tempt his
curiosity, and, to this end, one of our cages
was placed in tho jungle, and the door 50 Or
ranged as to shut the creature in if he but
entered. But he took no notice of the curl
osity or, if he did, it was to fight shy of the
suspected trap. Twice in three days he was
seen again on the borders of the village, evil
IDENTIFY bent on further mischief, and the ma
tives finally found path which the man
wolf used in going and coming from water
hole. As soon as they came in with the news
we started out to set different trap for him
The steel traps to catch wild animals have no
teeth, and the jaws como together in way
to give one a leverage on tho other l
have known of a full grown tiger being
caught by the foot and irnly held in trap
no larger than the boys set for mink and
nmskrat We replaced the chain with a half
inch rope made Of native grasses, and as
soon as n suitable spot had been selected we
excavated hole, buried the trap out of
sight. aud then bent down sapling and tied
the end of the rope to it. This sapling was
held down by n trigger, which a sharp pull
would release.
When tho trap had beef set no eye could
detect anything suspicious around the spot,
and we felt certain that the creature would
get INFO trouble if he passed that way When
we could do no more we retired to the vii
lage, about a mile away. 1t was about sun
down when we arrived and we were lust in
time to see a wonderful proceeding A large
and savage looking hyena came out of the
jungle aud shifted and snuffed and growled
at us from a distance Of about twenty rods
We refrained from shooting. for fear the
reports would fiighten the man wolf away,
and while n hundred Of us stood gazing at the
beast another suddenly appeared 1t was
the same creatute | saw from the hammock
ut is the man wolff" moaned a score of
natives in chorus, and at least a dozen of them
skunk away into their huts.
But the beast had not come to disturb u.s.
He had evidently been tracking the hyena,
and be was there for revenge. He bounded
over the grou.d with great leaps, and the
hyena did no; suspect his approach. The last
bound was 4 tremendous curve in the air and
as the man wolf came down it was full upon
the hyena's back. He uttered a terrible
scream as he struck, and the hyena gave vent