The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-09-14

COur6e duo Wcut ScNcEdi uiico ous VI
our way. We were still two miles from |
the village. and it was nearly shutdown,
when a thunder storm came up. We
were in pretty open ground when the |
first fash Of lightning came, and know
ing that it would soon be followed by q
downpour of rain we made dash for a
grove to our right. fell before l had
gone ten steps, and as l got to my feet
thunder shook the earth, and the rain
drops began to patter. Irushed ahead
in what l supposed was the direction
my comrades had gone, but as it after
ward appeared / bore of to the right,
missed the grove entirely. and just as
the flood-gates of heaven opened l
dashed into native hut on the edge
of clearing. l did not see the hut
until close on it, and entered it suppos-
ing it to be inhabited. Even when
called aloud and got no response. and
knew by the sound of my voice that the
hut had been abandoned, ! reasoned
that l was on the outskirts OF the
village. and that my companions had
taken shelter in huts near by.
The storm had long boon gathering
and its blackness brought night at once.
AS soon as the lightning began to play
/ could see the interior of the hut by
the flashes. There was only one room,
with the usual mud floor, and the only
article left behind was a hamper, such
as the natives strap to their backs to
carry loads. This stood in corner,
and supposed it contained some per-
sonal effects to be carried away at the
owners convenience. Had not seen
this hamper, and thereby got the idea
that the hut had just been vacated, /
should not have dared cross it and sit
down on the floor with my back to the
wall to wait for the storm to cease, as
every hut is taken possession OF by
serpents as soon as abandoned. The
roof was in pretty good repair. and l
had nothing to worry about. The thun-
der and lightning were soon over, but
the rain continued to fall for at least
two hours. Then it ceased almost in a
moment, and the clouds rolled away
and allowed new moon to show its
face.
The remainder OF the party had taken
shelter under the trees, and as soon as
the rain ceased they came out into the
open and began to call for me. l was
resting easy and half asleep when l
heard the first call. and at the second
drew my feet under me and stifiy
pulled myself up. As did so l heard
snarl and growl, followed by the
fall of the hamper and a rush, and
was thunderstruck to see tiger spring
out OF the door. As subsequent investi-
cation proved, he was crouched be-
tween the hamper and the wall, and
had been in hiding all the time / was
in the hut. Why did he not attack meP
He might have been frightened at the
storm, as many savage beasts are, or
my boldness in walking in upon him
may have ratified him. Unfortunately,
, he recovered his courage as soon as he
left the hut. The search party was
, directly in his path to cover, and he
charged right among the men and
, knocked one of the natives down, and
stopped long enough to infict a bite
which resulted in death.
! On subsequent trip, year later,
, and further to the south. had an.
other odd encounter with tiger. II
ought to have cost me my life, and
why it did not no tiger hunter has
, ever been able to satisfactorily explain,
We had been in the village of Syderpul
, for three days, three white men and q
: dozen attendants. seeking to destroy q
, man-eater who had created great
} havoc, when the beast came out Of 6
{ | Jungle Just at shutdown. seized an ole
| man seated in front of a hut not two
, hundred feet from us, and reached
> cover with his prey before we got the
i. alarm. We raised . great shout and
discharged our rifles after him, but h
| replied with growl and kept on. IL
. this case, and in this alone. l saw tn,
? tigers method of carrying off a human
: being. He seized the man by tn,
: shoulder and gave the body a twis
Q until the weight of it rested on hi
a back, and he trotted off under thu
1 burden as If it did not weigh ter
1 pounds. There was a howl all owe
l the village, and the old mans relatives
0 who were many, set up such a wailini
Q as made evening hideous.
a We could do nothing that night, Blu
were not long in tracing the tiger to
n dense thickot in the bed of ravine
/ mile away. He had not carried tn
d body there, however. Being eithe
/ sharp set with hunger or over-bold i