The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-02
A RACE WITH A MAD TIGER
THRILLING ADVENTURE OF A WAY
INSPECTOR IN INDIA.
Pursued for Miles by an Enraged Boast
Whose Cub Was Killed by the Car.
Armed with Only ReVolver-Ssyed by
a Fnrrunafa Shot frorrn a Hnntar

Armed with Only ReTolver-ssved by
Fortunate Shot from a Hunter.
Since the construction of the Dacca-My-
| menslng railway, a space Of two years or
| more, | had been permanent way inspector
Of a certain division, ten miles in length, that
/ lay about midway on the line, the total ex-
tent Of which was seventy miles. This divis-
ion began on the verge of the vast Madapur
| forest and lay completely in the midst of a
dense tangled jungle, which was inhabited by
only few people and on the other hand was
infested with bears, tigers, panthers and hog
| deer
never was much Of a sportsman, and per
haps this explains how fell into the careless
habit of going on my inspections compare
lively unarmed. I made the round trip three
times week on troIy, which is merely a
high seat on wheels, and is pushed along the
/ track by the trolly men, who are usually feet
! footed athletic natives.
IL was a very comfortable mode of travel
! ing, if little slow; for the seat is provided
with a soft back rest and one can stretch
/ out at ease with a sun umbrella and a good
cigar.
Occasionally 1 saw deer run across the
! track, and once a panther gave a brief
! glimpse of himself as he dove into the jungle.
| Tigers knew there were of course, for fire.
! quently saw their tracks in the soft ditch
that ran alongside the railway cutting.
DESERTED BY THE NATIVES.
One damp, sultry morning had just start
| ed from the station and my trolly men, Per-
shad and Jung, were bowling me along at a
| gentle rate of speed. 1t had rained heavily
the night before, and for while frequent
! stops were made to clear away the limbs
| which the storm had blown on the track at
some points in great confusion This occu-
pied considerable time, and it was toward
noon when we approached the center Of the
division.
/ always carried a pistol with me, not from
fear of wild beasts, but because the few Hin
docs who inhabited parts of the forest were
not above suspicion. We had just struck the
commencement of a rather heavy grade
which circled round a bend some twenty
yards ahead and then swept on in a straight
line for distance of a mile and half
We were going pretty rapidly, and l could
hear the quick, heavy breathing of the Hin
docs behind me as the trolly turned curve.
was in the act of lighting cigar when a
loud cry from Pershad caused me to drop the
burning match, and wheeling round l saw
the two rascally Hindoos making off as fast
as their legs would carry them.
stared in amazement for a second or two
and then turned and looked down the rail-
way. That one brief glimpse nearly stood
my hair on end, for sprawled lazily on the
track barely fifty yards away lay mon
strous tigress fondling two cubs that were
sporting between the rails, and beside her
stood the father of the family, sweeping his
big tail to and fro and calmly watching my
approach.
RUNNING OVER A TIGER
Just there the trolly struck a sleeper part
Of the grade, and away it went with a rush.
1 grasped the brake wildly and threw all my
strength against it, For one brief second the
speed slackened perceptibly. Then came a
quick, sharp crack and off we went again at
such a dizzy speed that the tangled foliage of
the jungle shot past like wayy green cur
tain
The brake had given way. The thought of
jumping off never occurred to me. | hune
to the seat in helpless terror, my gaze fixed
with a reSistleSS fascination on the group of
tigers ahead.
l have a very faint recollection Of seeing
the tigress walk leisurely off the track at the
last moment followed by one of her cubs.
l remember the big tiger, too, crouching in
the ditch, with his great red tongue lolling
out, and then, as the trolly bounced and
grated over some obstacle and my ears were
deafened by most fearful snarling, l knew
that | had run over one of the cubs The
jolting was over in an instant, and the tTolly,
without leaving the rails, swept on down the
grade at terrific rate of speed. There was
one tiger less in the Madapur forest, knew,
for, CHANGING down at the footboard, saw
spattered drops Of blood.
All of a sudden heard above the dizzy hum
Of the wheels a most terrific roar, and turn
ing instantly around, was startled to see the
big tiger bounding over the rails in hot pur-
suit
THE CHASE AND IT'S RESULT
At every jump he roared, and nv first i'm
preston was that he would overtake the troll
" in about one minute. Remembering my
revolver, l took it from my pocket and cooked
it. Another glance made it apparent that
the tiger was not gaining any, and as the
trolIy was now on the very steepest part of
the grade felt pretty confident that l would
ultimately leave him behind.
For the next quarter of mile actually
did gain, and then, as began TO draw near
the foot of the grade, the situation assumed
very ticklish phase, for, astonishing TO relate,
my vindictive pursuer showed no signs Of
giving up the race. He was bounding grace
fully over the ties thirty or forty yards be-
hind, without the faIntest trace Of WEAKNESS.
OF course, if l could keep up the present rate
Of speed would be all right, but just there
was the rub The bottom Of the grade was
close at hand and then came level track.
Hardly conscious of what I was doing l
turned and emptied the remaining chambers
at the tiger as fast as I could pull the trig-
ger One or more of the shots must have
struck him, for he stopped short with fend-
ish roar and then came on more furiOusly
than ever.
l hurled the empty revolver at him and
then settled back on the seat in despair.
could hear the soft patter OF the cushioned
feet on the ties, the hot breath seemed TO bs
scorching my neck. and then a gun shot was
fired almost beside my ear and l caught
brief glimpse OF a white helmet and snlok-
ing rife barrel. l tumbled of the tro1y
somehow and there lay my late pursuer,
breathing mis- life out across the rails.
Nv timely rescuer WAS the resident ensi-
neer from Daeca, who was spending weeks
furlough in the jungle Ny firing had at
tracted MS attention. and he had arrived just
In tlme.-Phladelpnla Times
THE TAN YARD MURDER.
How Lafcadio Hearu Made His First
strike.