Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-07-10
..Bnt he ought to be driven away q

"Yes, but when there are Thousand
more in the lake, what would you
gain2n ~ i
He seemed so earnest about it that l
turned away. That night number Of
the servants crossed the creek to attend
some sort of 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:
Snow you see what you did. Had ]
killed the reptile the young man would
have been with US this morning.
"Ah, sahib, bat 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 Bengalee district. n
couple of English officers with whom
was acquainted had shooting box, and
| went up with party to enjoy some
sport. 1t was wild strip Of country
along the stream, and although 50 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 a 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 serpcnts, devoured by
crocodiles, 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-
thorities to report case. He said:
''We were going to see our father and
mother at Mugador "a village seven
miles away, my brother and |. We
were in path crossing the forest 10 save
distance. He was ahead. II was about
two hours after daylight. We were very
happy, and he was telling me a story
which his wife had told him, when a
tiger suddenly sprang upon him.
stopped. The tiger stood over him with
both paws upon his breast, and looked at
me ard growled and switched his tail.
could do nothing. / walked backward
in the path, and the tiger seized my
brother by the shoulder, gave him half
whirl, and then trotted away into the
thicket. | have been told that it is my
duty to report this"
Eyes carclessly replied the official, as
he took down brief memorandum.
'sCan 20 nowl"
"You can, but be more careful in the
future. You should have had dog
along to scare the tiger away"
so | should, sahib, but he was carried
off by panther last week. Do not blame
mel 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 year.
We had been as the shooting box
three days. and had killed dozen hy-
enas, panther and a couple of big snakes.
There were four white men of us in the
party, and we had eight or ten native
lIdthtIs anu ctiNanN6. Ch wv AOHAfA
morning, before breakfast, 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
a 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
except two, one to attend me and the
other to see to the cooking. ! lay fac
ing the doors, and had view of the fire
and strip of country beyond it. At .
o'clock we heard the reports of rifles far
away. Half an hour later, just as | was
elevating my head so that / could read
book which was at hand, saw tiger
uDOu lnC WV AfAef WNAN
not at the fire, but few feet away, un-
der tree, and their faces were toward
me The animal had therefore approached
unseen. He knocked both down, and
struck them after they were down, and
then stood over their PROSTATE bodies, and
looked at the forest. This was hardly
ten feet from the open door. 1t was so
sudden that | lost half minute, and by
the end of that time the tiger left the
men and came to the door and looked in.
He probably scented me, for he switched
his tail and growled, and while he stood
there | saw blood on his neck.
NY hammock had ceased swinging,
and kept very quiet in hopes the brute
would 90 away. He stood and growled
and stared for minute, and then adj
vanced to the inner door and pushed
against it. Had it opened toward me he
could have entered, but it opened the
other way. With his eyes and nose
against the wire he growled in way to
send the chill over me, but feared to
ts~<.or for foar bo xrroa.l6 MALI a