The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-07-20

While tigers are to be found in al
most every part of Hindoostan except
the mountain ranges in the north,
there is one particular region which
is a sort of Garden of Eden for them,
and from which they will not be driven
for the next hundred years. 1t is the
Bengalee district, lying between the
Ganges on the north and the head
waters of the Walawala on the south.
put in four months in that district
in company with two English natural
lists and a party of army officers, and
every day brought it's adventure with
reptile or wild beast. We had four
army tents, which were packed in sec
tons on the backs of the natives when
we were on the move. These were for
the use of the whites, and l was one of
three who occupied one of them in
camp.
We had been out four days when l
got thoroughly wet and was taken with
chills and fever. Quinine would break
it inside of two or three days, but in
the meantime must go slow and not
'over-eXert myself. / stuck to camp,
and on the third day about three
O'Clock in the afternoon, went sound
asleep in my hammock. This was slung
under the tent about two feet from the
ground, and within three feet of the
rear wall. 1t was warmish day, but
with a delightful breeze, and, as the
fever had gone, fell into a deep sleep.
Just about the time l went to sleep
Captain Williams, who had been out for
a couple of hours with his gun. came in
and reported tiger in a dry ravine
about a mile away. He had had two
snap shots at the beast, but had missed
him. He had carefully marked down
the location, and after getting bite to
eat most of the party set out with him
to finish up the beast. Three of the
natives were left to mind the camp.
The party had no sooner gone than the
trio stretched out in the shade and
went to sleep.
When the party reached the spot
where the tiger was last seen, the
heaters went in, but they worked for
half an hour and failed to arouse him.
He had done what tigers often do,
bolted at the first alarm. When the
tiger bolted he must have made direct
for our camp, and he must also have
been pretty badly frightened. Some
thing broke my sleep and l opened my
eyes l was lying on my right side
facing the open doorway, and in that
doorway, not over five feet away and
looking full at me was tiger. My
heart bounded into my throat, the
blood rushed to my head, and for mo-
ment l thought I should sutfocate.
Then went to the other extreme and
was as cold as ice. ! had not made the
slightest movement aside from opening
my eyes. 1t was not from nerve, how
ever. but simply because | was incapa-
BILE. was not sure for half minute
but that my eyes were playing me
trick. When knew that the dreaded
beast lowered DER me, l could
do nothing but stare at him. Had |
not been so badly upset l should have
observed that he was skulking. He
stood there with his tail down for
couple of minutes, uttered two or three
whines of anxiety, and then bounded
straight over me and crouched down
between my hammock and the tent. |
had my back to him now, but could
hear his every breath and movement,
and l grew so weak that every thing
turned dark for a few moments, and
the tent seemed to be whirling around.
Far away could hear the row created
by the heaters. The tiger probably
heard more of it than l did, for he
moved uneasily and continued to
whine.
Men tell about how slowly time ticks
away in moments of peril. The tiger,
as near as / could afterward calculate,
was in hiding about fifteen minutes,
and no week ever spun out so much
time for me. When he got up he put
his nose against my back and shifted
and snuffed, and just when expected
to feel his teeth. he walked around
the foot Of the hammock, stood in the
door for u moment, and then bolted for
the nearest cover. 1t was well that l
had witnesses, or l should have been
set down as light-headed from the
fever. The naturalist and his man,
who had been proving around the
outskirts of the camp, both saw the
tiger leave the tent, and both came
running in, expecting to find me a
victim.
About three weeks later, when / was
in the best of health. Captain Williams,
and three more of us left camp to rid a
village ten miles away of man-eater.
The weather was oppressively hot. and
in following ravine to keep its cool
ness as long as possible we lost our