Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-07-18


ed down between by hammock and the
tent. had my back to bun now, bnt
l could hear bis every breath and
movement. and grew 50 weak that
everything turned dark for d few mo-
ments, and the tent seemed to be whirl-
ing around. Far away ! could hear
the row created by the beaters. The
tiger probably heard more of it than |
did, for he moved uneasilv and consin.
ued To whine. 'i"" 1'7'f''.r'
Men tell about how slowly time ticks
away in moments OF peril, The tiger,
as near as could afterward calculate
was in hiding about Is minutes, and
no week ever spun out so much time
for me. When no 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 moment, and then bolted
for the nearest cover. 1t was we'll that
had witnesses, or l should have been
set down as light headed from the fe-
yer. The naturalist and his man, who
had been prowling around the out
skirts of the camp, both saw the tiger
leave the tent, and both came running
in, expecting to find me 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 10 miles away of man-eat-
er. The weather was oppressively hot,
and in following q ravine to keep Its
GOODNESS as long as possible we lost
our course and went several miles out
of the way. We we're still two miles
from the village, and it was nearly
sundown when a thunder storm came
up. We were in pretty open ground
when the FIRST fash of lightning came,
and knowing that it would soon be
followed by down.pour of rain, we
made dash for a grove to our right.
I fell before 1 had gone 10 steps, and
as got to my feet thunder shook the
earth and the rain.drops began to pat.
ter. rushed ahead in what sup
posed was the direction my comrades
had gone, but as it afterward appeared
bore off to the right, missed the
grove entirely. and just as the flood
gates of heaven opened 1 dashed into
native hut on the edge of the clear
ing. I did not see the hut until close
ON it, and entered it, supposing it to he
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 | was
on the outskirts of the village and that
my companions had taken shelter In
huts near BY. 't 90 '9"'
The storm had long been gathering,
and its blackness brought night at
once. AS soon as the lightning began
to play l 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 q
hamper, such as the natives strap to
their backs to carry loads This stood
in corner, and l supposed it contain
ed some personal 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 posses
sion of by serpents as soon as aban-
doned. The roof was in pretty good
repair, and I had nothing to worry
about. The thunder and lightning
were soon over, but the rain continued
to fall for at least two hours. Then
it ceased almost in moment, and the
clouds rolled away and allowed a 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.
was resting easy and half asleep
when heard the first call, and at the
second | drew my feet under me
and stifay pulled myself up, AS /
did so I heard a snarl and growl,
followed by the fall of the hamper
and rush, and I was thunderstruck
to see tiger spring out of the door.
AS subsequent investigation proved,
he was crouched between the hamper
and the wall, and had been in hiding
all the time / was in the hut. Why
did he not attack me? He might
have been frightened at the storm, as
many savage beasts are, or my bold
ness in walking ip upon him may
have ratified him. Unfortunately, hq
recovered his courage as soon as hs
left the hut. The searching party was
directly in his path to cover, ana he
charged right among them and
knocked one of the natives down. and
stopped long enough to infliet a bite
which resulted in death.
On subsequent trip year later,
and further to the south, 1 had
another odd encounter with tiger. -
1t ought to have cost me my life, and
why it did not no tiger hunter has
| aver haen ahla IN Satisfactorily ax,