West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1890-05-01
In A TIGHT PLACE.

INTERVIEW wirH A MAN-RArING rrorn.
While At katamand. in the Nepal dis
triet OF India, with Captain White, the
american tiger and serpent destroyer, n
delegation came iu from village called
Aliwar, thirty miles away, To get some
of the English officers 10 90 out and do
stroy man-eater who had rendered
himself terror TO large district. Hear
ing OF the presence of the American they
came to him instead. The Government
bounty on the head of man.cater at
that time was $50. The villagers offered
TO make mp sixty additional, and 10 give
the Captain COW and four goats. In
ten minutes he had closed bargain, and
on the afternoon of the second day we
reached Aliwar. 1t was situated on the
sclndwala River, which is one of the
tributaries OF the Ganges, and within
hiteen miles Of the foothills of the
Himalaya Mountains. The country was
badly broken and covered with heavy
forest and Jungle, and the Captain nro-
nounced 1t the finest tiger range in India.
Inc Village contained about 700 in
habitants, and had considerable com.
merce with points lower down on the
stream. 1t was on the bank of the
river strung out for half n
mile, and the cleared space thus
occupied was not more than
quarter of n mile wide. A DAVIS work
on the part of the villagers would have
been sufficient TO clear away the cover
under which the tiger approached. but
not move was made The beast had
appeared about four weeks previous. and
the first intimation of his presence cost a
woman her life. She was cooking at n
hre on the north side of the village, not
over ten feet from the door at which her
husband and three children sat, when a
tiger, who had come out of ravine and
Kept the cover of some bushes, spranp
upon her This was just at atsundown. The
spring OF tho tiger knocked the woman
into the fire. He seized her by the foot
and drew her out, and, although her
clothing was on fire, he took hold of her
shoulder, gave her body a twist to throw
the weight on his back, and was OIL at n
run. The woman must have been killed
b. the blow Of his paw as he sprung, as
she made no cry.
since the man cater appeared he had car
rled oil seven people, and for long dis
lance oi ten miles around the people were
II great terror. There were half n dozen
old muskets owned in Aliwar, and these
had been loaded and discharged at the
ravlnc at high noon in hopes to scare the
tiger away. Two nights previous to our
arrival the tiger had entered hut through
au open window, seized boy ten wears
OF a9c, and made his exit by the door
The c9cs Of the boy awoke every one in
the village aud could be heard long
way up the ravine. lie had not come the
night before, but was expected to show
up ON this the night Of our arrival. We
reached the place about two hours before
sundown and as soon as the Captain got
the lay OF the land he made his plans.
Two huts on the northern edge of tho
village were abandoned 70 us The Can.
tain and one of his men took one. and
second native and myself occupied the
other. All had guns, and the plan was TO
watch for the tiger and pot him. The
hut occupied belonged to a storage
merchant. u was n solid building. made
of small logs and heavy thatch roof.
The ground floor, which was the ONLY
one, occupied a space Of about 1924
iect. IL had one door aud two windows.
The door and one window were i'm front
and the other window at the rear. Six.
teen feet from the door bamboo parti-
tion ran across the room. In this rear
room goods belonging to various parties
were slowed at n fixed charge, while the
family occupied the front room rs a living
room. The door in tho partition slid I'D
ana down in grooves
When We began our watch we fastened
the door securely. The window beside ID
was an opening about two feet square pro
tccted only by cloth curtain The one
at the rear had wooden blind, and this
was fastened on the outside.
10 was hot and sultry night. aud we
had jar Of water and brandy in the
storeroom. The front window com
manded a good view Of the country over
which the tiger was expected to an
preach, and for two hours I peercd aud
listened and waited, but without re-
ward. The native was stretched out ON
the floor and sound asleep. Weary with
standing ON my feet, aud my throat very
dry for TIE want Of moisture. I quietly
aroused my companion ana told him 10
watch while I refreshed myself. ! was
behind TIC partition drinking from the
jar whcn the native uttered n low CRY Of
alarm and bounded in upon me and shut
down the door. I had the jar yet in my
hands when a heavy body dropped 10 the
floor and heard the snarl and saw the
form ~ fforer In kho bs,t rrt.s. .-...
what bad happened. The tiger had ap-
preached the house from the opposite
direction, and creeping softly around
bad sprung for the opening aud into the
natives face. In his alarm the man had
started back and dropped his gun, while
mine was leaning against the door, how
ever, aad that saved us There we were.