The morning call., 1891-03-21
IN AN INDIAN JUNGLE.
A Tigers Company on a Lonely
ROad-A Terrible Experience.

"Were you ever really frightened?"
asked the inquirer of one who had seen lie
in several phases.
"Do you mean as coward. or being in
an Internal funk?'"
"Well, L mean scared?
"Scared, as you Americans call it, | have
been. | was pretty well scared by the
mutineers in India. They shot a doctor in
the same carriage in which was driving to
the fort of Sealkote. and the brutes took us
all prisoners; that is the corpse, his vile,
my mother and two brothers" The mar
rator was telling his experience to writer
for the Philadelphia Item.
% We were rescued by some Sikhs, but
that is only childish funk though must
tell you that in my b0yish dreams the bayo-
netting of my youngest brother, for the
Sepoys did toss him Oh their bayonets, gave
me many a terrible nightmare. That was
long ago, however, but many years from
that awful time my father was stationed at
Almorah, just at the foot of the Himalayas,
and was ordered from there to Meerut.
" 1t was before railroad days In India.
and the journey had to be done in bullock
carts and palauquins. Through the Teral
forest the later was the only mode of tray
cling.
TO the sportsman it is a paradise
Tigers, leopards, elephants, sambur.
neilghuy, deer OF all sorts, wild pigs, pea
loved b. the sportsman are to be found
plentifully. To the traveller, especially with
wife and family, this fever-belted region
is one to get through as quickly as possible.
1t was so in 1860. Then, more so than now
palanquin- n-bearers would leave their loads
i'll the road and fly at the sign of any dan
gerouS animal of the Jungle.
These palanquin professions were
curious ones. Four to six men would bear
the palanQuin on their shoulders, and woe
betide them if they got out Of step, for that
j0ted the 'sahib' or 'mene-Sahib' out OF
their slumber, or if they were awake made
reading an impOSsiblity.
I'VE had entered the Terai, and were in
its very midst when the jungle all around
was alive with trumpeting that told un-
doubtedly of large herd OF elephants. The
carriers, as is their won't in any approach
of danger, had dropped the palanquins and
other loads, but the Sahib headed the flying
crowd, and shooting the leader of the rout
ordered the men back Ill choicest Bengalee.
The Jungle was set on fire by some of the
torch bearers, and the huge beasts soon
were heard thundering through the under
growth, and then followed an old path to
water and safety.
Glow about the shot Hindoo?''
"Oh, WE'LL it was just after the mutiny. l
suppose he was buried by some Of his people
Hindoo; we only remembered CawnpOor.
"It WAS Years afterward that this same
desertion by native carriers was brought
home forcbly TO me. Two officers
of the garrison at Bang lore were
gent. We gave them great farewell and
were pretty late leaving the mesS-room.
In fact it was reyeiIle that sent many of
us hurrying to our quarters 10 change
our mess uniform into that for parae.
The two officers, C and d,
leaving us were both young men and
strong. They tunbled into their palan-
quins and were soon out of the Canton
ment. out of sight. and by that evening out
of the memory OF many. Down in the
plains cholera was pretty tad, but nobody
young fellows did not. The hot-bed of the
disease at the time was in kurnool, where
there was a small garrison. The travellers
had a pleasant evening there and set off
shortly after 10 O'Clock along the jungle
road. 1t was midnight when one of the Off
GERS showed uudoubted symptoms of cholera.
The carriers, learning 1t, promptly bolted.
TO be deserted III jungle IS never pleas
ant but to have man down with cholera
on ones hands adds considerable to the dis
agreeabeness OF the situation. c. had
some ehlOrGdyne and gave R big dose.
then closing up the palanquin determined to
walk back TO kurnool for assistance. 1t
was beautiful night, with the moon nearly
at the full, lighting up the read and the few
open patches of the jungle. The jungle was
alive with strange cries, and every now aud
then some animal woul crash through the
underwood. c. thought these latter
sounds increased rather qii .kIy, and halted
more than once to peer into the brush. There
was nothing to be seen, aud he tried to per
suade himself that it was only his magma
tion. He hurried on. and coming to an
open space was hOrrlted to see a tiger walk
ing parallel TO him. He stODped the brute
did the same.
ut was no use turning back; he had COW
cred half the Journey. He cursed his folly
for having lett his rife behind. He threw a
stone at the animal and waving his arms
frightened it away and then began to run
toward Kurn0ol. The tiger was soon back,
and like a cat playing with a mouse allowed
its future victim to hurry on, but never was
out OF striking distance. For a snort way
the beast seemed to vanish 1t bad only
trotted on ahead, and as c. turned a cor
ner OF the road he saw the tiger standing out
in the middle Of ii. twitching his tail from
side to side. He frightened the animal
again and ii took to the jungle. The strain
was getting too much for the man, and when
after few minutes lie saw the brute again,
this tire erouching Ia the road, ready for
spring, nature kindly made him oblvlOus Of
all around him.
''There were white men hanging over him
when he came TO his senses, with lot of
excited natives standing round with torches
in their hands
'The garrison at Kurnool had heard of
the desertiGn and lad plight OF their late
guests and had set out at once to aid them.
They had come on the tiger in the nick OF
torches, had sought safety in the jungle
C was sent in at once to kurnool, and not
long afterward R was brought in and sue
ccssfully nursed back to health"