The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-09-14
THE EDEN OF TIGERS.
A Trio Of Encounters With the
Terror OF the Jungle.
Man Eaters Arc Beasts That DO Not I'm
prove Upon Close Acquaintance,
While They Arc Particularly Un-
desirable Bedfellowss

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 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 party of army officers, and
every day brought its adventure with
reptile or wild beast. We had four
army tents, which were packed in sec
lions on the backs of the natives when
we were on the move. These were for
the use of the whites, and was one OF
three who occupied one of them in
camp.
We had been out four days when /
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 delightful breeze, and, as the
fever had gone, fell into deep sleep.
just about the time / 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 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. 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 a mo
ment l thought 1 should suffocate.
Then went to the other extreme and
was as cold as ice. had not made the
slightest movement aside from opening
my eyes. It 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 9
trick. When / knew that the dreaded
beast lowered Ger me, could
do nothing but stare at him. Had
not been so badly upset l should have
observed that he was skulking. HI
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 dowr
between my hammock and the tent.
had my back to him now, but coult
hear his every breath and movement
and / grew so weak that every thing
turned dark for a few moments, ant
the tent seemed to be whirling around
Far away could hear the row created
by the heaters. The tiger probabl.
heard more OF it than / did, for b.
moved uneasily and continued +
whine.
Men tell about how slowly time tick
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 mucl
time for me. When he got up he pu
his nose against my back and sniffe'
and snuffed. and just when l expecte
to feel his teeth. he walked aroun
the foot Of the hammock, stood in tn
door for a moment. and then bolted 70
the nearest cover. 1t was well that
had witnesses. or l should have bee
set down as light-headed from tn
fever The naturalist and his mar
who had been prowling around tn
outskirts of the camp, both saw th
tiger leave the tent, and both cam
running in, expecting to find me
] | victim.
: About three weeks later, when We
in the best of health, Captain William
and three moro of us left camp to rid