West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-01-05
LOST THEIR NERVE.

You often hear it said of man that
ne doesn't seem TO know what fear is
He may not, so far as standing nm before
other men, or facing ordinary dangers
but there are two dangers which no liv,
ing man can face aud hold his nerve very
long. l assert this because IL has been
my fortune 10 meet some of the most
courageous Of men OF this generation
ana have had opportunities to see their
nerve under fire
There IS probably no place in The
world where the man eating shark grows
TO larger proportions and herccr disposi-
lion than In the Gulf OF bengal. Aud in
the bays and harbors along the coast the
crocodile attains his full size and his
temper fully ripens. While / was i'm the
employ of the English mail service in
INDIA one of the ideas worked ont was
speedier transportation. New routes
were selected TO save distance and
wherever 1t was possible the rivers were
made use of. On one occasion | was
descending the Little Rangoon River
with three natives and the mail boos
when VIC were hailed from shore by nm
English hunter who had been camnin0
out amCng the fierce wild animals and
poisonous serpents for seventy days. He
was entirely alone, and he had killed
tive Ieopards, three tigers. six or eight
large serpents, and much other game.
lie had several fresh scars TO prove a
hand-to- hand conflict with a wounded
tlger, and the bare fact Of his being
alone IN that country, exposed to almost
every danger one could dream of. was
proof that he was a brave man. He had
raft at the bank and was about to cross
the stream. After a visit Of a quarter OF
an hour we took him in tow and dropped
hlm down about mile We had lust
headed Tor the other bank when | saw n
large crocodile rise 10 the surface lust
behind the hunters raft. The man had
not entered the boat with us, but was
sitting on his traps on the raft / called
to mm to shoot the rcpti @. and bo orose
ana made as pretty n shot as ever one
saw, striking tho saurian in the eve and
kllllng him at once. We were applaud
ing the shot when dozen Of the mons
tiers broke water all about the raft. We
had towTope about forty feet lon0
and were its full length ahead of the raft
None of the reptiles pail the least attcn
hon to the boat, but all seemed deter
mined to make closeracquaintan with
the raft
The hunter had a repeating ride. and
ne stood on his feet and banged away
rl9ht aud LETT as coolly as you please. /
ordered the men TO ce Sc rOwin9. and rot
out my Cwn rifle, but before / had fired
shot monster crocodile cl mbed upon
the side Of the light blmboo raft and
upset it. We backed water rapidly, and
u was not O;cr thirty seconds before boat
a1d raft had bumped At that same i'm.
stant the huntc rose beside the boat. and
one OF the natives pul cd him in While
nc lay on the bottom Of the boat we
rowed about and picked up such of his
traps as wcrc aloat. n was var, litt{r
VIC saved, rs his firearms had gone tn the
bottom, and his skins q pelis had been
swiftly dcvourcd by ihe crocod les
when ] came 10 OTor the man some
spirits his looks had changed. so that /
could scarcely believe he was the same
man. NO one standing ON tine pallows
trap could have been more broken t,p
He had scarcely swallowed lhg whisky
when he began TO cry. and he insisted
that VIC cover him up in the bottom Of
the boat. IL was whole fortnight lc.
fore the man recovered his composure
while his nerve was gone forever. lie
who had stood with drawn knife await
ing tho rush Of q tiger and who carried
hl"i NJ ~ prove MS bravery and his vic
tory, had BEEN totally broken up bv ap
experience Of less than two minutes i'm
the water with dozen crOcodilcs. IL was
the feeling that he was helpless which
Aook his courage away. I'm the case of
che tiger he felt that be had some little
show. When he was flung into the
water hc realized that me had none
have seen several men hung who died
game, and who got the credit of beng
brave fellows. 70 is an nonsense TO tall,
about bravery Jon the face OF the hangman
Dying game is either the coura0c
which comes from stimulants furnished
by the Jailcr, or 90 isfilsccnthusiasm due
70 thc labors OF tho elcfQymen for many
days past.
On one OF my trips up th s. same river
and hundred miles from ihc coast.
rampcd ono night with n party of British
officers who were out ON % hunt The
leader OF The party, and Che best shot and
braycet man in It, was MAJOR Cuuise. %
man about 40 years Old ito had ki.lcd
moro Wild animals than ony white man
40 the province Armed only with re-.