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

haltcu, anu III OnCc ulduc oar u HuSC
saurian lying in the creek, right across
the path, and evidently waiting for some
one TO cross. This was not over quarter
of a mile from the bungalow, and the
saurian had evidently come down the
creek from 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 q number OF
the servants crossed the creek to attend
some sort of party, and in the morning
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
Gauges, in the Bengalce district, a
couple of English officers with whom l
Il, no
| went up with party to enjoy some
sport. 1t was 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 a score of
hyenas had been bagged there within
two years, but it still remained favor
lite lurking ground for big game. AS
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. devoured 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 Il case. He said
I'VE were going to see our father and
mother at Mugador IA village seven
miles away. my brother and |. We
were i'll path crossing the forest to save
distance. He ahead. 1t was about |
TWO hours after daylight. We We're very
happy, and he was telling me story
which his wife had told him. when
tiger Suddenly spran" upon him. |
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
thicKet. | have been told that it is my
duty TO report this"
''les,' carclesSly replied the official, as
he took down brief memorandum.
Can go now"
~ on can. but be more careful in the
future. You should have had a dog
along to scare the tiger away"
80 | should, sahib. but he was carried
off bya panther last week. Do not blame
me- will do better in future"
The idea of 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 a year.
We had been at the shooting box |
three days. and had killed a dozen hy-
enas, spanther 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, l ran 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 |
hammocks in it. The first room was used |
to store provisions in. The door between |
the two was a 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 /
a poultice of leaves for my wound, and
lay down in hammock In the inner room.
The three other white men went off up |
the river, accompanied by all the natives i
except two, one to attend me and the |
other 20 see to the cooking lay fac
ing the doors. and had a view of the fire
and strip of country beyond it. At 0
o'clock we heard the reports of rifles far
away. Half an hour later, just as l was
my head so that could read a |