Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-05-10

about you he will eat you both"
No Wild animal goes out 10 kill unless
hungry. In each instance where this
tiger had seized a victim he had re-
mained quiet for the next two nights.
We could, therefore, figure pretty closely
on his next appearance. We went down
that evening and looked the cover over.
IL was dense enough to conceal troop
OF elephants, and as the creek was full
of water the beast would have no in
ducement TO leave shelter until hunger
drove him out As for pushing our way
into the Jungle TO meet him, the Idea
was too foolhardy to be entertained.
Once tiger becomes a man-eater he
develops new traits No pow-wow
raised by q thousand natives can scare
him away, and he becomes twice as
dangerous to approach as before. That
night the head man caused several large
bonfires TO be lighted, bells rung, old
muskets TO be fred off and great noise
kept up for an hour. This was 10 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
hook the field over and make our plans.
The natives were sent of 10 the fields
to work. and we skirted the banks OF
the creek 10 the east until satisfied that
the beast had its sair in mass OF rock
so overgrown and sheltered by Jungle
that IL did not seem as II a rabbit could
penetrate it. He doubtless came and
went by path OF his own at the waters
edge The situation was a good one TO
httrn him ..tt ush urfnh tim
right, but we did not want TO try that
until our other plans failed. Fires were
lighted again on the second night and
the racket maintained for the first two
hours after sundown was sufficient to
scare any ordinary tiger out OF the dis
trict II was about seven o'clock and
the Major, the head man, tive or three
others and myself were sitting about
the head mans door smoking and talk
ing. when an interesting event occurred.
We we're almost at the northern edge OF
the village and the noise was all TO the
south OF us. l sat in this door facing
TO the west. The others sat so that
their faces were toward the door. All
of sudden caught sight Of the tiger
approaching us from the north. Tie
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 a. day, and noted his unusual
size and strength, and the fact that he
had white spot about the size of sill.
ver 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 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 a song. ! moved back
ward inch by inch, and the tiger re
mained quiet while | was in his range
OF vision. AS soor as ROT nv kand OF
my rifle rose 10 my feet and stepped
TO the door to deliver a shot but the
beast was no longer there. No one had
heard or seen him move, but he had dis
appeared
.'IIe came to see II you sahibs we're
really here. or II We were deceiving
him, explained the head man when he
had recovered his power of speech. ''lIe
has seen you. lie knows that you seek
his life. 1t will now be between you
three, and you must look out or be will
get the better Of you"
Nothing further was heard from the
beast that night, and next day we sent
the people OF TO the fields again. After
dinner we got a suit of clothes. and
stuffed them with grass to represent a
human fignre-a man. We placed il in
kneeling position at the creek, with
gourd in hand, as II 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.
II 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. II he saw the
figure at all he scented the trick. Then
we fastened goat to the tree, and took
posssession os "A cabin q hundred feet
away. From window looking out tc
the north we had fine show to drop the
tiger IL he appeared. But he did not ap
pear While all the village slept We
stood watch. rifles on the cock; but
though the goat kept up continual
bleating for hours. she drew no othei
audience than few jackals and hyenas
Next morning the head man said TO us
''As the woman was very fat sh'
would last the tiger for an extra meal ol
two. lie would not have touched th'
goat anyhow, but tonight he will com'
into the village In search Of victim
You must plan accordingly
In the afternoon we had one of th'
families vacate their hut and brough
up the dummy and laid IL in the sleep
ing corner We then took possession o
the next cabin, only about thirty fee
away. and cut two openings in the wa,
10 command the door Of the first. Tn
, people went TO their work as usual AM
returned at the usual time, and ever,
body was inside before the sun Wen
down. What we hoped for was that tn
tiger would prowl through the village
trying each opening TO effect an en-
trance. and We had left this door so tha
he could open II. We did not look 70
him before nine o'clock, and were TAX
ing things easy At about eight whel
we heard an uproar al the ether end O
the village We two ran out, but wer
too late. Tho tiger had appeared. hurs
in door by hinging his weight agains
it. and had seized and carried of boz
about eight years old. The villager
were frantic with grief when the.