The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-13
TEN MINUTES WITH A TIGER.
BY THOMAS w. KNOX.
(CODyyi1hf 1927 o.

NNOUIItUIttt 1O5<.J
Capt. Evans invited me to 90 to his tea
plantation upcountry aud stay as long as
liked, and by way of allurement he prom
lsed me tiger hunt You can have it in
any way that suits you" said he. from a
mychan to battue with elephants but in
the latter case You will have to sta the
expense, as my purse won't afford it, and a
tidy bit of expense 1t will be. Just before
l came down to Calcutta | heard of q man
eater about fifty miles from my place. ard
II you say the word we will try for his hide
and the government reward
The captain had been in her maiesty's
service in India for a longer time than he
was willing to acknowledge few years
before met him he laid aside his uniform
and bought tea plantation in the foothills
OF the Himalayas. Like most English
officers in Hindostan, he was found of sport
and the more dangerous it was the better
he liked it. He had laid low many q tiger
and among them Feveral nan-eaters, as
those tigers are called which have
abandoned the chase of quadrupeds and live
exclusively on human flesh. The dev astation
caused by these marauders is enormous
Official reports show that one man eater
killed III persons in a few months and
caused a complete suspension of business
along certain road for more than year.
Another mau-eater killed $50 men and
WOlhCu Ait buICS years anu frightened the
inhabitants so greatly that au area of $50
square miles was practically deserted and
thrown out Of cultivation.
promised to consider the invita- ton and
give my answer on the following evening
We were sitting in one of the spacious win
dows of the Bengal Club in Calcutta, en-
joying our cigars and the evening air,
when the invitation was rendered, and il
was followed up by several stories of the
"a faiF1ta aYparianNaq ha do
beast of India, so dangerous and destructive
is he as to carry off not far from 1000 peo-
pie every year in Bengal alone
You will be safe enough if you hunt
from a mychan," said he, "a mode of
entertainment that's practiced more by the
native princes than by Europeans They
have stands or stone towers (myehans)
erected along valley where tiger is likely
to run when driven out of the jungle. The
hunters get into these stands and then send
the heaters to drive the game out of its
place of concealment. As the tigers run
along the valley they are shot and
the men who shoot them, or at
them. are perfectly safe from at
tack. never tried this form of hunting
but once and then it was at the invitation of
a native prince. | killed tiger as he was
trotting leis1rely along the valley and not
fifty yards in front Of ms-killed him dead
at the first shot. When satisfied that he was
dead l went out with the attendants to
bring him in, and found that the beast bad
a collar around his neck with my hosts
name on it. Tie polite prince had let the
tiger loose so that our hunt should not be
without result"
Then he went on and described a still
hunt, in which you must find where tiger
has killed and partly eaten a bullock. He
is sure to return to make another meal; If
there's tree near enough you rig I'D a shell
ter among the limbs, twenty feet or so from
the ground, aud then you go there about
sunset and climb up to the shelter with your
rifle ready loaded for business. If there's
no tree you make stand with poles, with a
scaffolding on top. Perhaps he'll come at
dusk, perhaps i'll two or three hours, or per-
haps not at ALL until he comes you must be
silent aud motionless, and when he puts in
his appearance re very careful as to your
aim. IL he is not killed outright or mortally
wounded you'll lose him. as a second shot is
very unlikely. A first shot is by no means
a sure thing, as it is very difficult to see the
beast in the dim light.
The captain was just starting to give an
account of battue with elephants and also
Of hunt on foot when his friend the
major interrupted him.
Tell us about your ten minutes withthe
tiger in Mysore," said the major. There's
story of a creature that was very famous
In his day"
"Yes, he was," replied the captain, "but
must have a fresh cigar before tell about
him. Suiting the action to the word, he
lighted Havana which the major prof
fered, settled back into his chair, was silent
for a few moments and then began his mar
ration.
IT was serving in the - FuSiliers and
my detachment had been two or three
months in Mysore, the capital OF the dis
trict Of the same name. when word came
that there was a man-eater at work about
100 miles TO the east of the city, supposed
to be the same that had been in the SOUTH
ern part OF the district for year OF more.
obtained leave to go for him; Thomson
asked for leave at the same time and got IL.
and away we went together. Poor old
Thomson! Little did he think IL was 10 be
his last hunt.
1--WE took along our favorite shikarry
ihuntsman), who had been with US In sew
eral hunts and knew his business. He
gathered a par y Of about forty heaters, and
while gathering them together he made
dlligent inquiries as 70 where the tiger had
last been seen. He hadn't been heard OF
any where for several days, and so we de-
terinined 10 walt for fresh news before
starting out.
1--WE hadn't long 60 walt. for the very |