Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-03-24
KILLING A TIGREss.
Beautiful Animal Loses Hor Lilo IN .
Wild Eastern Jungle.
Z TT pyo~~x,,. sC1,se - CfOriaS II

4 Beautiful Animal LOSES Hor Life I'm .
Wild Eastern Jungle.
II. Browns .Shikar Stories-J
Myself and brother officer reached
during our trips place called Marouda,
situated on the banks of river,
tributary of the Vein Gunga, II re-
member rightly, in the Chanda district
We here heard that tiger, tlgress,
and three cubs, frequente5 strip
jungle on the banks of the river; the
tigress, moreover had by native report
been magnified into man eater, and
was said to have killed man the day
previous to our arrival. This. indeed,
proved to be the fact, but that the poor
wretch lost his life is due entirely to
his own carelessness and foolhardiness
The man in question had small patch
OF cultivation bordering the cover In
which the tiger generallylay up. the
cubs in their gambols had done con-
siderable damage to the crop, rolling
about in it and breaking down the
plants In order to prevent their maxi
ing his field their playground the
owner, in spite of being advised to the
contrary, announced his determination
OF setting fire to tie long grass at the
edge OF the jungle. This intention he
accordingly proceeded to carry into
effect, and had hardly kindled the
flames which were to insure him from
future damage when the tigress, which
had been lying up within few yards
of him, rushed out and knocked him
over, killing him almost instantaneously.
She, however, left him and never ate
any of the body, as she would have
done had she been real man-eater.
The evening of our arrival we had
three or four hailas tied out and the
following morning had the satisfaction
of hearing one was killed. Accord.
ingly, about II o'clock, we started with
some eighty heaters for the scene of
action. The carcass of the calf had
been dragged by the tigress into a
small nullah that debouched into the
main river; about half mile farther
on there was similar nullah, and be-
tween these two we took up our posi-
tions in trees and some fifty yards
apart. The beat had not commenced
more than five minutes, and was gaz-
ing eagerly to my front when I saw
the tigress, followed by three cubs, not
quite half grown and about the size of
big mastifs, coming straight toward
me. She was slouching sulkily along,
evidently much put out at being
disturbed, and the cubs trotted
after her, one of them every now and
then stopping, with pricked ears and
gazing back toward the beater; then it
would scamper on after its mother. 1t
was pretty sylvan scene, and the sun
light falling on their sleek striped
hides as they moved noiselessly over
the dead leaves that carpeted the
ground glittered and quivered in fan
tastic rays. They came straight on for
my post, and got within some ten
yards of me when, with an upward
curl of her lip and twitching of her
tail, that well-known sign Of irritation
which always means mischief on the
part of the feline race, the tigress
stopped to listen, and, as she turned
her head back, gazing toward the.
heaters, I aimed at her neck between
its juncture with the shoulders and the
ears and fired. She dropped in her
tracks without groan and never
stirred. It seemed as if in twinkling
the ground had, as it were, been cut
from under her legs, at the same mo-
ment depriving her of life with the
speed of electricity. I only on one
other occasion ever saw any large
animal pass 80 suddenly from life to
death without even witch or move.
ment of muscle.