The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-11

In India once I went out on a hot
dusty plain near the Ganges with my
rife and one native servant to see what
1 could shoot. It was a dismal place
Here and there were clumps Of tall grass
and bamboos. with now and then a
tamarisk tree. Parrots screamed in the
trees and the startled cav Of some In
dian crows made me pause and look
around to what had disturbed them.
The crows almost at once settled down
again into silence and, as / saw no sign
Of danger. l went on carelessly. 1 was
alone. for I had sent back my servant
to find my matchbox, which ! had left
a. the place Of my last halt: but I had
no apprehension, for I was near the post
and the district was one from which. as
was supposed. the tigers had been
cleared out some years before.
Just as i was musing upon this fact,
with a tinge of regret because l had
come too late to have a hand in the
clearance, 1 was crushed to the ground
by a huge mass which seemed to have
been hurled upon me from behind NY
head felt as though it had been dashed
with icy or scaldirg water and then
everything turned black.
II was stunned by the shock it was
only for an instant. When / opened
my eyes L was lying with my face in
the sand. Not knowing where 1 was
or what had happened | started 10
rise. when instantly a huge paw turned
me over on my back. and I saw the
great yellow-green eyes of a tiger look
in9yiown upon me through their narrow
black Sits
| did not feel horror-stricken; in fact
so far as 1 can remember, l felt only
a dim sense of resignation to the in
evitable. | also remember that noticed
with curious interest that the animal
looked rather gratited than ferocious.
l don't know how long 1 lay there,
stupidity gazing up into the brutes
eyes; but presently L made a movement
to sit up, and then 1 saw that / still
held my rife in my hand. While 1
was looking at the weapon with a
vague. harassing sense that there was
something 1 ought to do with it, the
tiger picked me up by the left shoulder
and made off with me into the jungle;
and still 1 chung to the rife, though 1
had forgotten what use l should put
it to.
The grip of the tigers teeth upon
my shoulder 1 felt but numbly, and yet,
as l found afterward, il was so far
from gentle as to have shattered the
bone.
Having carried me perhaps half mile.
the brute dropped me and raising her
cubs appeared at once in answer to the
summons, and bounded up to meet her.
At the first glimpse Of me, however,
they sheered off in alraIn, and their dam
had to coax them for some minutes,
rolling me over softly with her paw, or
picking me up and laying me down I'm
front OF them, before she could convince
them that l was harmless.
At last the youngsters suffered them
selves to be persuaded. They threw
n
not very dangerous. ferocity, and be-
gan 10 maui and worry me. Their claws
and teeth seemed to awaken me for the
first time to a sense Of pain. I threw
off the snarling animals roughly, and
started to crawl away. In vain the cubs
tried to hold me. The mother lay watch
ing the game with satisfaction.
Instinctively ] crept toward a tree,
and little by little the desire to escape
began to stir in my dazed brain. When
was within foot or two of the tree
the tiger made a great bound. seized
me in her jaws and carried me back to
the spot whence I had crawled.
why" thought ! to myself. "this is
just exactly the way a cat plays with
mousse
At the same moment a cloud seemed
to roll off my brain. No words of mine
can describe the measureless and sick
ening horror of that moment. when real
ization was thus suddenly flashed upon
me-
At the shock my rife slipped from
my relaxing fingers; but I recovered IL
desperately. with a sensation as if 1
had been falling over precipice.
1 know now what l wanted to do with
It, The suddenneSS of my gesture, how
ever, appeared to warn the tiger that I
had yet a little too much life in me. She
growled and shook me roughly. / took
the hint, you may be sure, and resumed
my former attitude Of stupidity; but my
faculties were now alert enough and at
the cruelest tension.
Again the cubs began mauling me.
repealed them gently, at the same time
looking TO my rifle. I saw that there
was a cartridge ready to be projected
into the chamber l remembered that the
magazine was not more than half empty.
started once more 70 crawl away.
with the cubs snarling over me and try
ing TO hold me, and It was at this point
realized that my left shoulder was
broken.
Having crawled four or five feet. I let
the cubs turn me about whereupon |
crawled back toward the old tiger, who
lay blinking and actually purring. It
was plain that she had had a good meal
not long before, and was, therefore, in
no hurry to dispatch me.
Within about three feet Of the beasts
striped foreshoulder I stopped and fell
over on my side as If all but exhausted.
sock The beast moved her head 10
watch me. but evidently considered me
past all possibility of escape, for her
eyes rested as much upon her cubs as
upon me.
The creatures We're tearing 1t my legs,
but in this supreme moment l never
thought of them. I had now thoroughly
my self-control
Iaboriously very deliberately, 1 got
my sight and covered a spot right be-
hind the old tigress's foreshoulder, low
knew this would carry the bullet dag
onally upward through the heart
should have preferred to put a bullet
in the brain; but in my disabled condi-
ton and awkard posture L could not
safely try it,
Just as I was ready one of the cubs got
i'm the way and my heart sank. The old
tiger gave the cub playful cuff, which
sent it rolling to one side. The next
instant / pulled the trigger-and my
heart stood still.
NV aim had not wavered a hairs
breadth The snap of the rife was
mingled with a fierce yell from the tiger,
and the long-barred body Strengthened
itself up into the air and fell over almost
on top of me. The cubs sheered of in
great CONSERVATION.
sat up and drew a long breath of
thankful relief. The tiger lay beside me.
stone dead.
I was too weak to walk at once, 80 I
leaned against the body of my van
ouished foe and rested. My shoulder
was by this time setting up an anguish
that made me think little of my other
injuries. Nevertheless, the scene about
me took on a glow of exquisite color. SO
great was the reaction that the very sum