Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-05-09

behind the partition drinking from the
jar when the native uttered low CIV Of
alarm and bounded in upon me and shu:
down the door. had the jar yet in M
hands when heavy body dropped To the
floor and heard the snarl and saw the
form of a tiger in the hut. This was
what had happened: The tiger had APP
preached the house from the opposite
direction, and creeping softly around
had sprung for the opening and into the
natives face. In his alarm the man had
started back and dropped his gun, while
mine was leaning against the door, how
ever, and that saved us. There we were,
face to face with a full grown man eater,
with only bamboo partition between us
and his fangs, and | am frank to say that
for moment l was completely done for
The native flung himself dow1 on his
| face without word, and | knew that
| neither suggestions nor aid could be ex-
pected from MIN.
1t was a starlight night, but the small
opening in the wall of the hut made tle
room pretty dark. | could just make
out the outlines Of the tiger as he moved
to and fro, while his eyes were like two
small lanterns. There was no floor in
the hut, the ground being beaten hard
instead, but l could feel sort of jar as
the tiger moved about. He made a thor
Ough inspection of everything in the
front room, and then turned his atten-
ton to me. My revolver was in my bag
gage, and so | was entirely destitute of
weapons. l had seen the native wearing
long knife during the day, and l called
to him to know if he had it with him.
He was crying with fear, and would not
answer me. [ went over to him and
found the knife in sheath at his belt,
and when l had it in my hand my cour-
age came back in a moment. About that
time the tiger had discovered that the
only victims in the cabin were behind
the partition, and he sounded against it
right opposite me with force that made
everything crack. Left to himself he
would have knocked it down in short
order, but | was there to interfere. |
hacked him with the knife, and from the
way he snarled and spit I knew that
had cut him. He withdrew to the far
end of the room, growing menacingly,
and [ could hear him lick the blood
which the knife had drawn.
The general situation was far from
pleasant. By knocking on the rear shut
ter and calling out could make Captain
White understand how matters were, but
on second thought felt that it would be
to his risk. The tiger might go out at
the opening any moment, and if he en-
countered any one outside tragedy was
certain. To alarm the village was to
bring about the same thing. Even if l
could get out of the rear window by
forcing open the shutter the tiger had
only to go out of the other window at the
same time to pick me up. felt that
was a pretty fair match for him with the
knife in my hand, and, hoping that he
would give up and leap out of the win
dow after receiving another cut, I de-
cided to wait. [ could just make him
out as he lay on the floor near the door,
and was standing close to the partition
when he suddenly uttered roar of anger
and charged. He struck the sliding door
with u great smash, and his right fore
paw struck at me through one of
the openings. I hacked at it and gave
11IIil cCNCII CuO LII Ll1C 1CSs L Ills
time he sent up such a dreadful
roar of pain and rage that half the
village was aroused by the noise. He
drew back and ran along the partition,
probably hoping to find a weak spot,
and three several times he reared up on
his hind legs, seized the bamboos in his
teeth, and shook them as you have seen
q dog worry at a root when digging at
the hole of some wild animal. Then he
bounded toward the front and sought to
90 out of the window, but stuck in the
opening, snarling and growing, and
finally dropped back. He tried this
three times and then gave up. AS we
afterward discovered, there was huge
silver on the log at the top of the open
ing. This pointed inward. AS the
tiger crowded his bulk into the opening
he pressed this silver up against the log.
When he undertook to go out the silver
diminished the size of the opening and
stuck in his back like a dagger. The
uprOar he made alarmed Captain White,
and he called out to know what was the
matter.
THE tiger is in the front room and
can't get OUT" / answered.
"Why don't you shoot him?'
"The guns are in the room with him. "
When l had fairly explained the situa-
ton he advised that I be on my guard
and ready to use the knife, and that it
would not be safe to make any new move
until we had daylight to aid US. I did
not know at that time that the tiger
could not get out where he came in, or I