Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-10-17

leaps through the snow, carrying us
victim without difficulty. The night
was dark and cloudy, with indications
that it would snow and blow before
morning. We followed the trail for
about half a mile, when the prospect
of rescuing the poor man, or OF over
taking the creature at all. became 80
evidently hopeless that l took the men
back to their quarters.
The next morning four or five
inches of snow had fallen, and the
snow-storm still continued. The
weather was SO inclement that the men
remained in their quarters, and no at
tempt was made to pursue the tiger.
'On the following day l sent out
Barrows with the men, to protect
them while they worked, and provided
the Corean san-cheng, or tiger hunter,
with lance, and set him also to act
as guard for the others.
I'm stationing these guards l felt
that l had taken all practicable pre-
cautions for the safety Of the men in
my charge. l was not at liberty to
withdraw them from the work. Bar
rows was armed with an English
breech-loading carbine. which was
the only gun at the mill. except two
or three Japanese lint-locks which
were not to be relied on.
sin going to and from the place
where they worked in the forest. and
score of other times during every
day while at work, the Coreans raised
a prolonged shout of Tue! Tue! Tue"
to frghten away the tigers. At all
hours of the day l heard this strange
chant echo through the wintry soil
tudes, blending with the sound OF
their axe-strOkes.
"a week or two passed with no
fresh alarm. Barrows grew tired OF
standing guard in the snow, and al
lowed the san-chepg. at his own re-
quest, to resume his axe. 1t was only
by constant exercise OF authority that
/ kept Barrows with the crew. He
possessed the usual traits of an En-
glish sailor and held Coreans in slight
estimation. He grumbled continually.
and at length so far relaxed his vigi-
lance as to take his blankets with him
into the forest, and spend the time
mapping in front of a fire.
GAS evening was approaching. one
day early in January. large tiger
emerged from a thicket about sixty
yards from the place where the Core.
ans were cutting logs. They had bare
ly time to perceive the creature before
he was among them, had seized his
victim, a youth about twenty years Of
age, and was bounding away with the
lad in its mouth. The Coreans scat
tered, uttering loud outcries. Bar
rows fired an Intellectual shot at the
animal. and chased it for short dis
lance. Some of the leaps made by the
animal in its retreat covered dis
lance of over four yards. as l after
wards found by measurement.
81 was at the lumber yards below
the mill experimenting the loading
of a Junk at the time of this SECOND
foray, and before 1 could organize {
pursuing party darkness had fallen
The Coreans huddled panic-stricken IN
their quarters. and l saw that they
would be useless as laborers until the
tiger that had twice assaulted then
had been hunted down and killed.
at was easy to discern the Great
| hi oh
now nearly two feet in depth, maxim!
it difficult to travel in the forest TIL,
Coreans use snow-shoe made OF thin
tough, hard wood, to which they Civ
the name of seL-naai, and set my mel
at work to fashion several pairs O
these native rackets, which they fin
ished that night.
Meanwhile, l consulted with Bar
rows and three or four of the NOR
, intelligent among the Japanese mid
men, ard the result was that W
started hunting party shortly afte
, sunrise the following morning.
, was scarcely sportsman-like party
, it resembled rather a forlorn hope
, and although had picked out tn
, pluckiest of the japanese and Coreans
, | could see that some OF them ha
very little heart for the business be
, fore them.
, 1--WE were poorly armed for such a
, undertaking. Two Of the Japanes
, carried tiint-lock guns, and Barrow
had his carbine The other men,
: the number of twelve, carried onl
= axes. was armed with an axe an
my revolver.
: 1--WE followed the track OF tn
5 tiger, which was stained at interva!
{ with the blood of his victim, for abou
+ two miles, first up the valley OF tn
{ river. then across mountain ridg
heavily wooded with pine. and the
!. into valley beyond it. 1t was ev
1 dent that this entire region. now COY
: cred with a dense forest. had ono
d been inhabited, for fragments OF tn
n old walls of stone houses and temple