Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-02-27

kept up for an hour. This was to in
form the tiger that white men had ar
rived and that new deal was on hand.
We had plenty of time next day to
look the field over and make our plans. |
The natives were sent off to the fields ,
to work. and we skirted the banks of |
the creek to the east until satisfied that |
the beast had its lair in mass Of rock |
SO overgrown and sheltered by Jungle
that it did not seem as if rabbit could |
penetrate it. He doubtless came and |
went by path of his own at the waters !
edge. The situation was good one to I
burn him out when the wind came |
right, but we did not want to try that |
until our other plans failed. Fires were
the racket maintained for the first two
hours after shutdown was sufficient to /
scare any ordinary tiger out of the dis
trict. 1t was about seven o'clock and |
the. Major, the head man, two or three
others and myself were sitting about
the head mans door smoking and talk
ing, when an interesting event occurred. |
We were almost at the northern edge of
the village and the noise was all to the
south of us. / sat in the door facing
to the west. The others sat so that
their faces we're toward the door. All
of sudden l caught sight Of the tiger
approaching us from the north. He
walked up to within ten feet of the group
and sat down and stared at US.
could see him in the reflection of fire
as plain as day, and / noted his unusual
size and strength, and the fact that he
had white spot about the size of sill.
yer dollar on his throat There was a
conversation going on in which | was
not included, and | had been looking at
the beast full minute before / was APP
pealed to. Then replied: Gentlemen,
make no move! The tiger is only ten
feet away! By moving backward five
feet I can reach my gun. Should any of
you attempt to spring up he will doubt
less seize you"
The natives were struck dumb, but
the Major, fully realizing the situation,
began singing song. l moved back
ward inch by inch, and the tiger re-
manned quiet while | was in his range
of vision. AS soon as got my hand on
my rifle rose to my feet and stepped
to the door to deliver shot, but the
beast was no longer there. No one had
heard or seen him move, but he had dis
appeared.
''He came to see if you sahibs were
| g ai,v,,,
him." explained the head man when he
had recovered his power of speech. ''He
has seen you. He knows that you seek
his life. 1t will now be between you
three, and you must look out or he will
get the better Of YOU"
Nothing further was heard from the
beast that night, and next day we sent
the people off to the fields again. After
dinner we got a suit of clothes, and
stuffed them with grass to represent a
human fgure--a man. We placed it in
a kneeling position at the creek, with
gourd in hand, as If dipping up water,
and at three o'clock all the people came
in, and we took our stations in a tree
which commanded the crossing.
If the tiger appeared at the usual spot
we had him at short range. We watched
until the afternoon faded into darkness,
but he did not appear. If he saw the
figure at all he scented the trick. Then
we fastened goat to the tree, and took
possession Of cabin a hundred feet
away From a window looking out to
the north we had a fine show to drop the
tiger if he appeared. But he did not APP
pear. While all the village slept we
stood watch, rifles on the cock; but,
though the goat kept up a continual
bleating for hours, she drew no other
audience than few jackals and hyenas.
Next morning the head man said to us:
GAS the woman was very fat she
J would last the tiger for an extra meal or
] two. He would not have touched the
J goat anyhow, but tonight he will come
: into the village in search of victim,
You must plan accordingly"
, In the afternoon we had one of the
: families vacate their hut and brought
, up the dummy and laid it in the sleep
} ing corner. We then took possession OF
the next cabin, only about thirty feet
J away, and cut two openings in the wall
, to command the door of tho first. The
} people went to their work as usual and
\ returned at the usual time, and every
7 body was inside before the sun went
down. What we hoped for was that the
| tiger would prowl through tho village
. trying each opening to effect an en-
{ trance, and we had left this door so tha
t he could open it. We did not look fel
4 him before nine o'clock, and were tax
5 ing things easy at about eight wher
: we heard an uproar at the other end o
| the village. We two ran out, but were
. too late. The tiger had appeared, burs
3 in door by fiinging his weight agains
r it, and had seized and carried off boy
, about eight years old. The villagers
| were frantic with grief when they
3 learned of the fact, and the head maj
3 said to us, while the tears ran down hi
r cheeks:
| "Ah, sahibs, but we may as wei
5 abandon our homes tomorrow. This il
Q a wise and cunning tiger and you cal
r do nothing with him. If we do not g.
away he will eat us up"
We quieted the people as best W,
. could, and next day went about in per
g son to make every hut secure. Ever.
e window opening was barred, and ever.
t door provided with a prop. 1t wa
. characteristic of the simple-minde'
l natives that, while they lived in morta
5 dread, more than half the huts were s.
badly secured that the tiger could hav
S entered. We had to wait again for tn
$ tiger TO get hungry. As the crops coul,
: care of themselves for few
ordered that the villager
and show themselves a
Y sossible, and two nights an
thus worn away. On tn
of the third day we killed
dragged its bleeding body fror
ak to the door of the hut whereof
laced the dummy. and at twi
illage was as quiet as grave