The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1892-06-29


shoulder quite to the breast bone.
A tiger did that-a royal Bengal-and
a beauty he was, tell you! You can
see the skin any day in my married sis.
ter's sitting room. But it's a story quite
worth telling and it has funny side, too,
that was thought quite worth repetition
at the time in the English papers, though
though they did not get at the inside
facts of the adventure.
It was the period of the hot season
stagnation when we were in the consular
service at Madras, you know.
The English society Qncluding the
few Americans there) were doing little
else than sleep and yawn to pass the
time.
But everybody, the men especially,
were galvanized into excitement when
the news came in that tiger had carried
off first woman and then a child during
the previous week from a station about
fifteen miles in the interior, at the foot
of the mountains.
In half an hour hunt had been agreed
upon and servants were flying everywhere
about the town TO arrange the details and
secure the accessories, such as teams and
wagons, native porters and beaters; and
in the cool of the evening fifteen or
twenty gentlemen sportsmen were en-
gagged in oiling gun locks, swabbiug out
rifle barrels and in preparing generally
for the morrow's expedition.
1t was just dawn on the following
morning when we started-a curious cav
alcade of fifty or more, In which the
white faces were largely in the minority.
Some were on horseback, some in carts
drawn by bullocks, which in that country
were very different from what are known
as such at home.
Here they use the small and slender
gray zebu with its curious hump, and
known to the menageries Of the west as
the "sacred bull of India" and said to
be regarded with veneration in the East.
There is little to tell of the hunting
expedition. We arrived at the station
or plantation and found that not only
was the descent of the tiger true, but
that since then he had manned and all
but carried off an able bodied coolie, who
had been rescued only in the very nick
of time.
We therefore spread our beaters out in
a circle covering wide bit of the neigh
boring Jungle, while our party distribu-
ted itself in line that formed the chord
of this arc, towards which the native
btaters we're gradually converging.
There was no result, however, in the
way of tigers, during the two days in
which we continued these operations
from one locality to another in the neigh
borhood around the station.
True, we bagged innumerable game
both feathered and four footed, but OF
kind that was only commonplace for In
dian sportsmen. 1t was therefore with
acute disappointment that we gave up on
the second day all hope of our quest, aud
early on the following morning turned
our faces homeward, calculating to arrive
at Madras that afternoon.
OF the party big Major Gallanton, of
her Majesty's Fusilier stationed at
Madras, ,seemed the most disap-
pointed. As was this big hearted
fellows wont, he vented his ehagrin in
a great deal of clustering with his deep
bass voice and used much expressive
language, in way calculated to impress
a stranger with the belief that words
and not deeds were the majors strong
point.
But in this regard Major Gallanton
was an anomaly and a surprise.
Loquacious fire eater in times of peace
and quiet, in the moment Of responsibility
or danger, had no word to utter ex-
cept that of incisive command or wise
direction-calm, silent and ready for
any emergency.
About a mile from Madras there was a
little bungalow, commanding a view of
the sea, which had become sort of
house OF public entertainment, popular
with the better class OF residents as re-
sort for tiffins and such little excursions
as we would call picnics. The sur
rounding groves and forests had been
improved for a short distance until it
was a sort of wild park, and on this little
point of land was to be had the full
benefit of whatever zepbyrs might hap
pen to be waiting over the bosom OF the
torrid Bay of Bengal.
The resort lay almost in our path; and,
tired and nearly overcome with the heat
of our long journey, the suggestion
to diverge thither for some refresh
ment was welcomed by all and the line
of march was therefore diverted.
We had hardly entered the grove
when a silvery feminine laugh greeted
our cars, coming from the direction OF
the native house,