The morning call., 1891-06-19
NETTING A TIGER.
How Old Stripes, the Man-Eater, Was
Slain by NICOLA Bux and His Shikarees.

How Old Stripes, the Eater, Was
Slain by NICOLA Bux and His Shikarees.
This brief account of the way NICOLA Bux
and party of shikarees, or native hunters
from Nagpur, netted a tiger in the presence
of some English officers and an American is
given by the latter in Harper's Young
People.
"For year or more" says the writer in
question, there had been large reward Of
fered for the death of this four-foOted
.scourge. So we expected great hunt.
NICOLA Bux had stipulated before coming
that he and his fellow-shkarees should have
all the game to themselves and that only in
case the tiger should break away from the
net and the spears Of himself and his COM
pan0ns should any of the white Sportsmen
use their rfleS
at had been learned early on the morn
ing we arrived that Stripes as the officers
called the tiger land indeed that is the name
by which the animal is universally known
among Europeans throughout lndia)-it had
been discovered. l say, that Stripes had on
the evening previous carried off an old
woman who had gone to the rivers bank TO
wash her sons turban, and whose half
devoured body had been found 100 yards
back from the water in shallow gully,
surrounded by high reeds. 1t was thought
by the most experienced among the local
hunters that the beast was secreted in a
dense patch of jungle about half a mile from
the spot where the body had been found,
aud beyond which there extended for sew
eral hundred yards growth of very tall
reeds, which bOrdered wide eXpanse of
veTdant plain.
"Gong to point situated about in the
center of this irregular wall of reeds, the
five shikarees erected their net, which was
Of strong half-inch rope, and was stretched
upon ten slender poles driven but a few
a,,f1 RcNn
ten feet above the surface. AT either end
the net was run into the grass for about
twelve feet so as to prevent sudden dash
around either end b. the tiger in case he
should be driven into it. With the greatest
care, and as quietly as possible, the canes
we're then cut down, until there was partly
opened lane leading from the edge of the
jungle TO within three or four yards of the
ret, and thus pathway was arranged for
the tiger to follow without showing him the
danger to which it led.
"These preparations having been CON-
pleted, the beaters behind the jungle began
the active movement Of the hunt by beating
violently on their pans and shouting Justify,
so as to wake the tiger in case he happened
to be asleep. After three or four minutes Of
this noise, which we heard very distinctly
from where we stood, at a distance OF about
fifty yards back OF the net, tie hubbub
ceased.
Suddenly native came running around
the corner sOf the ready growth furtheSt
from Whe'e we stood. and, hurfying TO the
net, began talking eXcitedly to the ShikareeS.
A moment later one OF them ran over TO us
and said that the tiger had been disturbed
in the jungle, but had walked calmly out at
a point just where the reeds began, and,
cTouching down. had crept for few yards,
aud just as he was sighted by one Of the
beaterS had sprung upon fine white COW,
and before the astOnished native, who stood
l,,F fatr, ards ny
had carried it off into the tall grass. Hehad
motioned to the others near him for silence,
and had come TO the net for orders, to be
taken all around the circle of beaters. These
were quickly given, and he ran swiftly
away to instruct those behind the Jungle to
renew their noisy attack.
''Soon there came the signal that Stripes
was headed for the net. The heaters, strung
along either side of the reeds, stamped
vigorously and cracked sticks together as if
their very lives depended on their efforts,
aud two OF the shlkarees hurriedy crept
into the reeds with ropes in their hands,
prepared to pull down the net the moment
the tiger came TO it. 1t was moment of
intense excitement, but it was only mo-
ment, for we were suddenly aware of a
yellow blur almost in the center of the net,
which was jerked down, while with wild
wells the remaining trio OF huntsmen sprang
at their growing victim, struggling madly
in the mesheS. Almost as quickly as it can
be written two or three of the keen Iances
had pierced his heart and throat, so that be-
fore any of the group in which | stood could
reach the spot the tiger was to all iutents
and purposes dead. 1 was among the first
to reach the net, and the great beast then
lay motionless and bleeding from dozen
wounds, more than half of which were in
vital spots.
at was beautifully planned hunt, and
its complete success filed the entire district
with ioy"