Wichita eagle., 1888-07-06
THE INDIAN MAN EATER.

under English dominion in India. and
many thousands of people are annually
made victims The tigers even lurk
along the highways and devour the "ative
postmen OF how the dangerous beasts
are sometimes destroyed is told in the fol
lowing account by late writer:
While sitting in the little depot at Jooa
one afternoon. in conversation With the
station agent, Freight No. 3D." from
Madras. came in on the siding opposite to
wait for the Bombay express to pass.
Attached to the long train Of rice cars
were several fats, some with ''daks" on
them, others with palanquins, and on the
hindermost a very odd looking object
which at once attracted our attention
the moro thai there seemed to be man
inside it.
What have you got on that rear car,
Fales2' my friend. the agent. called out to
the conductor of the freight.
You've got me now." replied that
official with laugh. That's non
descript No name on it. Billed to
Yuloodian. Walk up and see for your
selves. gentlemen That is the shipper
inside: name. Geeter Zoom Joogr. by trade
q tiger killer. But you won't find him
talkativo."
The "nondescript" was round, cage
like structure. some - feet in diameter
by or in height. The bottom was of
black timber. and the fat top Of the same.
but not quite SO massive. while the sides
were of thick. straight. brown bamboo
rods or bars. set upright like stanchions
in the black bed pieces. with spaces
betwixt them a or inches wide. In
short. it was a heavy round cage, made
years and years ago. and of curious work
manship
But the old native inside it was q still
greater curiosity He was arrayed in a
dirty blue cotton frock and drawers or
trousers of the same stuff His feet were
bare-such feetl They were shrunken,
bony and of such shiny wine brown hue
rs to give one the idea that they had been
caIcined over a slow fire. The man was
bareheaded, too. and what is not common
among Hindoos, his hair thin and In part
gray. was braided in cue down his back.
The tightness of the skin across his brows
gave to his countenance q strangely mum
mifed expression. hardly relieved by the
deep. dull black eyes and coarse, thin eye
brows. while the lower part of his face
was curiously marked with still coarser,
crinkled hairs, too scattering to be termed
beard.
His general complexion was like an old
w:thered walnut. From the elbow down
his arms were bare, and they seemed
mere parcels CT bone and sinew bound
tightly up In sun dried hide. while his
lean fingers. like claws. terminated in
nails an inch or more long. Indeed. in
matter of personal appearance Mr.. Geeter
Zoom Joogr was one of the very strangest.
unhuman human beings | have ever
CHANGED to meet in any country.
Set against the side of the cage were
two short spears or lances five or six feet
in length with handles Of some black
wood and their sharp slender points of
bright steel. which shone like silver.
These blades or points were of themselves
nearly or quite two feet long-altogether
very ugly looking implements
could elicit from the man by questions.
He said, or rather admitted, that be was
going to Yuloodian to Kill tiger. and
that killing man eaters was his business.
Fifty rupees was his price for killing q
dangerous tiger.
He bad made this his business for
twenty years since the Sepoy war. felt
hN, ha old IN
hunted. and asked permission to go up to
Yuloodian and participate In the hunt.
To this request he made no reply for
awhile, but upon my urging it several
times at length said: THE sahib can suit
himself"
Just then the express whistled in, and
as soon as it bad passed the freight, and
with 1t CID Geeter and his cage, moved on
Late in the afternoon. after my duties
on the section were over for the day,
went up on the way freight to Yuloodian.
taking my Remington carbine and stock
If cartridges. It was dusk and the huts
were closed. but by dint of knocking and
shouting learned where the tiger hunt,
had located his cage. found it short
distance beyond the village. After some
parley | was admitted through little
trap door in the top. which was securely
fastened again, but my reception was q
most ungracious one. He grumbled
Dminousiy in the native tongue Of my
disturbing the night and breaking the
spells.
Besides our two selves in the cage there
was the carcass of q goat TO attract the
tiger. Hour after hour Of tho damp,
warm. dark night we sat crouched motion
less there. Old Geeter neither spoke no,
moved. but l could hear him breathe
Once we heard short, ouerulous roar,
which I supposed to be that of tiger q,
q distance. but no tiger came near that
night. The next night took a bird cal
with me- Ihad intended to imitste ths
bieatlrg of kid. thinking thus to attract
the tiger. but rejecting after few trials
that this was tiger with q taste for
human 6esh. l began to counterfeit the
crying of child. which found no diff
cult matter when once had got the right
key for it. said nothing to old Geeter
of my trick when l reached fuloodian
that evening. bat joined him as before
Tho night was very still Several times
the weird CIV of devotee IN the distant