Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-06-14

ing on my leeI, anu my lIlIOdt very urJ
for the want of moisture, l quietly
aroused my companion and told him to
watch while l refreshed myself. l was
behind the partition drinking from tho
lar when the native uttered a low cry
Of alarm and bounded in upon me and
shut down the door. | had the jar vet
in my hands when heavy body dropped
to the floor and l heard the snarl and
saw the form of tiger in tho hut. This
was what had happaned: The tiger had
approached the house from the opposite
direction, and creeping softly around
had sprung for the opening into the
natives face. In his alarm the man had
started back and dropped his gun, while
mine was leaning against the door. He
had shut the partition door, however,
and that saved US. There we were face
to face with full grown maneater,
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 linself down on
his face without a w ,rd, and knew that
neither suggestions nor aid could be ex-
pected from him.
1t was starlight night, but the small
opening in the wall of the hut made the
soom pretty dark. l could just make
out the outlines of the tiger as he moved
TO and fro, while his eyes We're like two
small lanterns. There was no floor in
the hut, the ground being beaten hard
instead, but could feel sort of jar as
the tiger moved about. He made a
thorough inspection of everything in the
front room, and then turned his atten-
ton to me. My revolver was in my
baggage, and SO l was entirely destitute
If weapons. l had seen the native wear
ing long knife during the day, and 1
called to him to know if he mad it with
him. He was crying with fear, and
would not answer me- / went over to
to him and found the knife in sheath
at his belt, and when l had it in my
hand my courage came back in mo-
ment. About that time tie 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 every hing crack.
Left to himself he would have knocked
it down in short order, but | was there
TO Interfere. l hacked him with the
knife and from the way he snarled and
suit ! knew that had cut HIM. He with
d Nv to the far end of the room, growl
ing mclacing!v, and | coul hear him
tick the blood which the knife had
drawn.
The general situation was far from
,o1p R,- l,o lrut
tor and calling out could make Captain
White understand how matters were,
but on second thought I tet that it
would be to his ri,k. The tiger might
SO out at the opening any moment, and
if he cncuIl"terel any one outside a
tragedy was certain. TO alarm the
village wa, TO bring about the 3 me thing.
Zen if l coHll get out of the rear
window by forcing open the shutter the
tiger had only to go out Of the other win
dow at the same time to pick me up. |
felt that | was pretty fair match for
him with the knife i'll my hand, and,
hoping that he woul give up and leap
out of the window after receiving an
other cut, | decided to wait. | could
Just max h:n out as he lay on the floor
ucar the door, and | was StanIing close
to the partition when hesujI Ipnly uttered
roar Of anger and charged. He struck
the sIiIing door wi.h great smash, and
his right frrcpaw struck at me through
one of ;ho openings. | hacha at it and
gave him a severe cuI in the leg. This
time he sent up such Il drea lful roar of
pain and rage that half the Ilage was
aroused by the noise He drew back
and ran along the partition, probably
hoping 10 find a weak spot, and three
several times lie reared up on his hind
lp $, scizing the bamb 70 in his teeth, and
shook them as you have -een a dog worry
at a root when digging at the hole of
,ome will animal Then he bounded
'oward the front and sought t. go out OF
,he window, hut stuck in the opening,
Hnarling AMI growling. and finally drop
ped back. He tried this three times and
then gave up. AS we afterwarI dis
covered, there was huge silver on tho
log at the top of the opening. 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 dimin-
ished the size of the opening and stuck
in his back like dagger. The uproar
he made alarmed Captain White, and he
called out to know what was the mat
ter.
"The tiger is in the front room and
can't get OUT" answered.
"Why don't you shoot him?"
"Ihe guns are in the room with him.
When l had fairly explained the sit
dation he advised that | 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
could have forced the rear shutters and
escaped from the hut The beast skunk
into corner and lay there for time
whining and growing Then he tried
the opening again, and when he found
himself prisoner, he sat up on end and
howled with fear. l believe | could
have driven him about then with stick
As the tiger lost his ferocity, tho
native with me regained his courage,
and by and by he got up and found q
heavy stick among the bales of goods
and stood ready to assist me in beating
nff any new attack. While the ent ire
village was awake, no one moved out of
his house, and all waited for the coming
of daylight. At intervals of fifteen
minutes Captain White sang out to us to
know if we were all right, and about an
hour before daylight he warned me that
the beast would no doubt fly into fury