St. Landry democrat., 1888-03-31


night drew on. while on the far side O.
the pool, well out of range, an occa
sional sambhur issued from the Jungle
and stalked solitary and ghost-likt
across the sand, stopping every dozen
yards to sniff the air suspiciously.
Wearied and sleepy, lay back agains
the rock as sambhur disappeared fol
the third time without giving me &
shot; my rifle lay across my knees,
and some evil spirit prompted me tc
open the breech, that it mi CHIT lie more
easily upon them.
The moon was sinking, and the white
clammy mist came rolling in huge bill.
lows down the mountain side, hiding
the trees thirty yards away, and max
ing the night colder and damper with
its heavy shroud Darkness and dis
comfort have a bad effect on the nerves,
and felt. as sat there, in no mood
for great deeds of daring. Tired and
indifferent had dozed off to sleep,
when my companion touched my arm
! lightly and whispered the single word,
6ya Qiger.) I awoke with start, and
looked in the direction indicated.
Here ne was, coming slowly through
the mist, straight toward the rock, with
the easy rolling swagger tiger affects
when ne is on the prowl. I clutch
my rifle and snap the breech. Great
Heavens! for the first time since
owned the weapon, it refuses to
close!
The tiger, off which I have not taken
my eyes, has reached the foot of the
rock, and attracted by movements de-
liberately pauses to gaze at the appa-
rition it beholds. With the useless
rifle in my hands sit facing it, utterly
unable to move, and the Karen,
crouched beside me with Ills head be-
tween his knees and his hands clasped
above it, is trembling in every limb.
The 1.-THE, gray-looking form is only
six feet from me, and with two short
steps can enter the nook and select
either of us at his leisure. The fixed
stare of the blazing green eyeballs
seems to paralyze me; for fully half
minute-it seemed an hour-he stands
there motionless, but at length passes
on, still keeping his eyes on me until
he disappears round the corner of the
rock few feet away.
Relieved of the appalling stare, I
breathe more freely, and straining my
eyes in the direction / expect the
tiger will take, with desperate eager
ness exert all my strength to close the
breech of my rifle. I can feel no OBJ
struction. for it is, of course, too dark
to see. but it will not close, and I pause
fixed upon me.
Dissatisfied with his first scrutiny,
the tiger has passed around the rock
and returned to repeat it. It is sicken-
ing. Helpless and dazed, sit there,
blankly returning the steady stare that
so perfectly unneryes me. This inter-
view lasts longer than the first. can
not close my eyes even If l would. The
Precipitation streams down my face,
and | feel the cold drops trickling
down my back. How / curse the brute
for his calm, dispassionate gaze! How
i curse my own folly in not selecting
tree to shoot from! For now, though
am shaking all over, faint defiant
feeling is creeping over me, and thank
God!-the tiger once more turns away,
and this time quietly takes the path to-
ward the opposite jungles, disappear
ing in the fog-wrapped night. Cone!
and I lie back and give way to fit of
''cold shivers," such as have never
felt before. and for half an hour see
nothing but eyes, round. fierce, glaring
green eyes, wherever I turn my own.
No daybreak surely was ever SO long
delayed as that we now anxiously wait
ed for, but it comes at length, and cramp-
ed and shivering Ihastened to examine
the rife. A small but thick feshy
leaf had found its way into the ''grip"
action. and, crushed though it was,
the stringy fibers refused to allow the
close fitting mechanism to work. The
Karen who is watching me murmurs
in Burmese, ''witchcraft, and after |
the night I have just passed through |
[ am more than half inclined to agree |
with him.
We dragged ourselves back to camp
and at once organized party to follow
Up the pugs, but our chase was useless.
We neither saw nor heard anything of
hat tiger again during our stay.
Curiously enough. only two weeks
lfterward information was brought to
CASTOR that Karen who had selected
hat identical rock to shoot sambhur
rom had been pounced upon and car
led off by tiger as he left his hiding
,lace just before daylight Screams
we're heard by his brother, who occu-
lied safe position near. and on going
o the spot at sunrise, he found the gun
md bag belonging to his hapless rela-
i've on the sand. Tiger pugs and a
ew blood marks told the silent tale,
nd not vestige of the unfortunate
mans body, or even Of his clothing,
vas ever found by the friends who
made search for his remains
Easton' s informant added, with grave
lmnlicitv: 1.-THE white face of YOUR