The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-04-07
THE TIGER AS "a Ill u !TE &.
THE TERRIBLE DEATH OF a DE.
FENSELESS MAN.
How the Slnuous Feline Gave Her
Whelps !. Lesson--An Inkling Of
How the Mouse Feels When
the Cat Plays with 1t. s

did you ever sec a cat play with
its prey before killing itp'' asked 4
New Yorker the other day, who had
hunted big game in almost every land
| where big game can be found, Of i
| Tribune reporter. mo doubt Won
have and you regard it with NOTHING
more than curiosity. Perhaps YOU
have also seen her instruct her kittens
how to shake and worry it and terror
and dread were the things furthest
from your mind at the time, as Won
looked with an amused smile at the
clumsiness Of the kittens when thev
let the prey get away from them, and
the big cat had to pounce on it and
bring it back to them again. Moth
ing about that to make you tremble,
ehp OF course not but I once saw
the same thing, and I was sick and
faint with the horror of 1T and I am
no coward either. It took place years
ago. but | remember every blood
curdling incident of it, as if it had
happened yesterday, and would never
forget it if | lived a thousand years. d.
''You don't understand Ell? Well
my cat was a bigger one than yours.
She was man-eating tiger and it all
came about in this way. I was
hunting in the jungle for birds, with
one native gun carrier. and, as the
day was broiling hot we halted by a
little stream to bathe our heads and
hands. We were not expecting any
big game. as none had been seen in
the neighborhood for some time; so
we laid our guns down on the ex-
posed roots of a tree, and we went
perhaps a dozen PAGES from them to
battle. Suddenly, withouta moments
warning, dreadful snarl came from
behind u.s. and at the same moment a
big black and yellow streak shot from
the underbrush, and lit full on the
back OF my man, who stood apart
from me. He sank under the weight
OF the big tiger like a rag, and she
prepared to spring on me; but I. be-
ing perfectly defenseless, had darted
for the nearest tree and quickly
scrambled into the branches. She
did not follow. Then I noticed that
the big cat was followed by three of
her cubs. She took my man by the
cloth which was tied about his loins
and carried him as gingerly as a good
retriever does bird. without setting
a tooth into him, up the bank of the
stream and set him down before her
young. Then she drew off a little
way and watched me in the tree
while her cubs smelt at their prey and
began to paw him. One of them
scratched him and he regained con-
sciousness. | saw him fling the
whelps aside and spring to his feet.
In a jlffy the old cat was on his back
again. and he was down. He seemed
to realize the situation then for. the
first time, and he lay still and rolled
his eyes about in search OF me. II
shouted encouragingly to him and he
spied me.
He implored me to shoot, and not
fear hitting him. | told him our guns
were all under the tree where we had
left them, and that he and the tigers
were between me and the fire arms.
He was a brave man, an old
hunter so he said no more, but Law
very still. And lying still was no
easy thing to do. for the cubs had
grown more lively and were scratching
his face and chest and gnawing at his
legs with their short but sharp teeth.
He endured it as long as he could and
then he gave one cub a blow with his
clenched fist on its ear that sent il
rolling over on the ground. Quick as
a flash its mother darted at him and
hit him one crack on the arm tn at
made it fall limp and bleeding by his
side. Then he lay still again and the
whelps resumed worrying him.
Presently noticed slight movement
OF his body. He was wriggling little
by little away from the old tiger
toward a tree. The cubs did not no.
tice it. as they tunbled over him and
over each other. and the old devil did
not appear to be aware OF it either.
"By-and-by the poor fellow got
within ten feet Of the tree and Jump
ing up, made a dash for it. One of
the cubs hung to his ankle and he
stepped on the little brute and
stumbled. The old beast was up by
this time, but made move as if to
come from my tree, and she hesitated
a moment between me and him.
That moment gave him time to
Chamber up the trunk Of the tree about
six feet to the first branch. There
his wounded arm failed him, and he
hung, unable for a minute to get
higher. Tigers do not climb trees
but their jumping powers are wonder
full. The big cat left me and in two
bounds was at the foot of the tree.
The third took her right up in the air,
and she lit on poor Ahmed again.
They fell from the limb in heap and
then for the first time the mans cour-
age deserted him, and he shrieked to
me for help and to his gods for mercy.
Every cry OF the doomed wretch went
through me like a knife. Yet what
could | dop She could kill him with
one crunch of her jaws or blow Of her
heavy paw, and then lay me out long
before I could reach the guns.
Then followed the most horrible
scene ever witnessed. The tiger
began to give her whelps practical
lesson. She snatched that poor fell
low by the neck and tossed him about