Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-10-09


would probably visit the village liz
tie earlier than usual, If at all. AT 4
o'clock we ordered all the people to
retire to their tents, and soon there
after the three of US took up our sta.
taions, each of US having a man to
keep us company. My hut was broad
side 10 the tlicket, but the door faced
the other way. There was d large
window at ono end about eight feet
from the ground, and door and win
dow were we'll secured. Several
PORTFOLIOS had been made in the walls,
and felt that | could give good
acsednt of the tiger should he appear
In my neighborhood. 1t cleared of
at sunset, and full moon came up
TO make the village light as day.
While | watched at the back of the
hut the native took the front, aud af-
ter two long hours had gone by with.
out an alarm he came over to me and
said:
"Ihe beast knows the white hunt
ers are here, and he dare not show
his face. He may even have even
left the neighborhood."
lay back on my elbow on the dirt
floor to coyerse with him, and quar-
fer of an hour had slipped away when
we heard heavy breathing at the
door of the hut. This door, or OPEN
ing, had been made secure with poles
placed up and down and across. The
squares were abont six in ches in al.
ameter, and as we turned our heads
it was to find tn tigers nose thrust
through one of these openings. The
brute had got into the village without
anyone seeing him, and our first in
timation of his presence was snuffiing
growl. There he stood, looking in
the moonlight as big as a yearling
steer, and as we turned on him he
uttered growl whick paralyzed me
for thirty seconds.
"Shoot, Sahib-for Gods sake.
shoot him!" cried the native, as he
groyeled on the floor in terror.
had to struggle up and get my
rifle, which was leaning against the
wall, and by the time | had it in hand
and had turned about the beast was
gone. We knew where lie had gone
70, though. lie had sprung upon the
roof, and as he trotted about his
weight shook the cabin TO its founda-
tions. The cunning old beast knew
what | was in there for, and he didn't
ssRnnnen Ia ahanasaa 4asoat After
walking about for three or four
minutes he coolly lay down and rolled
about, as if in play. The dry grasses
may have tickled his hide, for he set
up loud purring, and seemed to be
greatly enjoying himself.
set the native, who had shotgun,
at one of the PORTFOLIOS, and / took
another myself, but the tiger seemed
to divine our positions. When he
finally leaped down it was at such a
point that we could not reach him.
We could follow him with our eyes,
however. He went trotting down the
street, stopping here and there TO i'll
vesliga.e hut, and but for the native
/ should have left our shelter and
tried to get shot at him.
"Don't go, Sahib; for the love of
heaven, don't go!" pleaded the badly
frightened man. Everybody is Sc
cure and the tiger knows it. He has
seen us. He knows you are a white
hunter. He runs away thinking you
will be foolish enough TO follow. Take
my word for it, it is trick of his"
So it seemed to be. We ha{t>casee-
ly lost sight of him down tho street
when We heard him leap upon the roof
again. He had doubled back upon us.
After reaching the roof he remained
quiet for five minutes, but then, hear
ing us move about, he jumped down
and trotted off again. We just got a
glimpse of him as he disappeared in
the direction of the nullah. Three or
four minutes later we heard a wild
shout, and the native with me cried
out:
s'The tiger has seized some of the
villagers and is off to the thckets!'
Every native in that village knew
the danger of quitting his hut that
night, but one of them, waking out
of his sleep and feeling thirsty, de-
cided to open the door and secure a
drink from calabash kept in hole
in the earth at the back end of the hut.
He did not even stop to look out to
sec if the tiger was abroad. The Incl
dent shows the strange recklessness OF
the natives in general, and explains
how it comes about that the loss oil
life in that country from wild beast;
is SO appallingly great. The man was
no sooner outdoors than the tiger
seized him and rolled Kim over and
over. lie was then gripped by The
left shoulder, given twist which
threw his body over the tigers back,
and the beast came walking up the
street with his burden as cool as you
please. l could not fire at him from
that side until he should reach the
door, though we could watch him
through the crevices of the wall.
The beast did not come quite to the