The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-01-09
TRICKED THE TIGER.
An English Hunter Fools Man Eater
With q Dummy.

An English Hunter Fools Man Eater
With Dummy.
The cunning combined with audacity
of some man-eaters is extraordinary. A
few wears ago there was a well-known
tiger in the Mandla district, which took
possession of the road and actually
stopped the traffic. This was not the
generally accepted specimen of man
eater, old and NANCY, but an exceed
ingly powerful beast OF unexampled
ferocity and audacity. 1t was a merci-
less Lighwayman, which infested we'll
known portion of the road and levied
toll upon the drivers of the native carts,
not by an attack upon their bullocks,
but by selling the driver himself and
CARRYING him off to be devoured in the
neighboring Jungle.
1t had killed number of people, and
nothing would induce native to ven
ture upon that fatal road with a single
cart; it had therefore become the GUS
tom to travel in company with several
carts together, as numbers were sup
posed to afford additional security.
| This proved to be vain expectation, as
the tiger seized the driver of the hind
most cart, and as usual carried the man
away in spite of the cries of the af-
frighted companions. Upon several o.
casions this terrible attack had been en-
acted, and the traffic was entirely
stopped At length the superintendent
of police, Mr.. Duff, who unfortunately
had lost one arm by gun accident, de-
termined to make an effort at its de-
struction, and he adroitly arranged a
| plan that would be fatal trap and
catch tho tiger in its own snare.
lie obtained two covered carts, each
drawn as usual by two buIlocks. Tho
leading cart was fitted in front and be-
hind with strong bars Of dashed bamboo,
which formed an impervious cage; in
this the driver was seated, while Mr..
Duff himself sat with his face toward
the rear, prepared to fire through the
bars should the tiger, according to its
custom, attack the driver of the rear
most cart. This would have been an
exciting moment for the driver, but Mr.
Duff had carefully prepared dummy
dressed exactly to personate the usual
native carter, the bullockS being we'll
trained, would follow closely in the
rear OF the leading cart, from which a
splendid shot would be obtained should
the tiger venture upon an attack.
All went we'll. The road was DESC
late, bordered by Jungle upon one side
and wild grassland upon the other.
They had now reached the locality
where the dreaded danger lay. and
slowly the carts moved along the road
in their usual apathetic manner. This
must have been an exciting moment,
and Mr.. Duff was, no doubt, thoroughly
on the lookout Suddenly there was a
roar; large tiger bounded from the
Jungle, and, with extraordinary quick
ness, seized the dummy driver from his
seat upon the rearmost cart, and dragged
the unresisting victim toward the jun
, gle. Nothing could have been better
planned, but one chance had been for
gotten, which was necessary to success.
No sooner had the tiger roared and
bounded upon the cart than the af-
frighted bullocks, terrified by the dread
full sound, at once stampeded off the
road and went full gallop across the
country, followed by Mr.. Dufr's bullocks
N the widest panic. 1t was impossible
to fire. and after a few seconds OF
desperate chariot race, both carts cap
sized among the numerous small null
labs of the broken ground, where bull
locks and vehicles lay in superlative
confusion: the victorious man-eater was
left to enjoy rather dry meal of a
straw-stuffed carter, instead of juicy
native which he had expected. Pail
Mall Budget