The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-09-13


halted, and at once made out a huge
saurian lying in the creek, right across
the path, and evidently waiting for some
one 70 cross. This was not over aquarter
of a mile from the bungalow, and the
saurian had evidently come down the
creek from a small lake about two miles
away. / made ready to fire at him, but
one of the natives touched my arm and
respectfully said:
"Please don't, sahib. If you anger
him he will bring others to make us
trouble"
"But he ought to be driven away or
killed.
"Yes, but when there are a thousand
more in the lake, what would you
gain?'
lie seemed so earnest about it that
turned away. That night a number of
the servants crossed the creek to attend
some sort of a party, and in the morning
a young man was missing. After con-
siderable inquiry it was decided that the
crocodile had seized him as he attempted
to cross the path. said to the native
who had restrained my fire:
''Now you see what you did. Had |
killed the reptile the young man would
have been with us this morning
''Ah, sahib, but you might not have
killed him, and then he would have taken
two of us. lean soon find another young
man."
About six miles below Patna, on the
Ganges, in the Bengalce district, a
nOrrlo Of En~I,1h At1sca,s rt-,th hon,
was acquainted had shooting box, and
| went up with party to enjoy some
sport. 1t was a wild strip of country
along the stream. and although so near
to village this fact did not render game
any less abundant. A dozen tigers,
three or four panthers, and score of
hyenas had been bagged there within
two years, but it still remained favor
lite lurking ground for big game. AS a
matter of curiosity hunted up the re-
turns made to the Government from this
place, and found that the average of
natives bitten by serpents. devourcd by
crocodilcs, or slain by wild beasts was
over three per week the year round.
These were the figures reported by the
natives. as they persist in believing that
the blanks sent in by officials are some
how connected with taxation or official
surveillance. Two days before we
started a native came in to the civil au-
thoriticS to report i case. He said:
I'VE were going to see our father and
mother at MugadOr "a village seven
miles away. my brother and l. We
were i'll path crossing The forest to save
distance. He was ahead. 1t was about
TWO hours after daylight. We were very
happy, and he was telling me story
which his wife had told him, when
tiger suddenly spran" upon him. l
stopped. The tiger stood over him with
both paws upon his breast. and looked at
me and growled and switched his tail.
could DO nothing. walked backward
IN the path, and the tiger seized my
brother by the shoulder. gave him a half
whirl, and then trotted away into the
thicHet | have been told that it is my
duty TO report this"
"Yes,r carclessly replied the official, as
he took down Il brief memorandum.
Can l go now"
You can, but be more careful in the
future. You should have had a dog
along to scare the tiger away"
$50 | should, sahib, but he was carried
off bya panther last week. Do not blame
will do better in future
The idea of a man entreating forgive
ness because his brother had been carried
off by tiger seemed very queer to me.
but the official explained that without
criticism and censure the natives would
become so careless that the list of fatal
accidents would double in year.
We had been at the shooting box
three days. and had killed dozen ny
enas, apanther and couple of big snakes
There were four white men of us in the
party. and we had eight or ten native
crackers and servants. On the fourth
before breakfast, ran a thorn
into my foot. and was advised to lie
quiet during the day. The house was
divided into two rooms, each about
twelve feet square, and each having two
in it. The first room was used
to store provisions in. The door between
the two was frame covered with wire
cloth. There was only one window in
each room. and that was provided with
sliding sash, with wire cloth tackled over
the outside. The outside door was also
Il screen, but this was left standing open
during the day.
After breakfast one Of the natives fixed
n poultice of leaves for my wound, and
lay down in a hammock In the inner ROOM
The three other white men went off up
the river. accompanied by all the natives
except two, one to attend me and the
other 20 see to the cooking l lay fac
ing the doors. and had view of the fire
and strip of country beyond it. At o
o'clock we heard the reports of rifles far
away. Half an hour later, just as l was
elevating my head so that could read a
book which was at hand, saw a tiger