The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-07-27
midas STRIPED TERROR
DESTROYER OF NAN AND DESOLA-
TER OF NATIVE VILLAGES.
Sir Edwin Arnold's "Reminiscences OF the
Real lord OF Creation in In
dian Jungies.

NlSilluS III hivuSHl IL lHS Solu-COdttu anu
striped tyrant Of the woods. the tiger.
There are large rfnges on the ghauts-
enc might almost call them estates
which are owned, at least temporarily,
by pair Of tieers, or, it may be, by an
old male tiger singly or by a tigress
which has been left alone 10 take care
Of herself and her cubs. and so devel-
opes all the worst virtues Of her fierce
mater nifty. II IS one OF thes, last that
has come to my mind I'm connection with
q summer evening IN India, when along
the lonely jungle road an Erglishman
with his attendants was approaching a
village In such a country as | am de-
scribing the villages are few and far be-
tween, partly because OF many difficll-
ties as TO agriculture and markets, partly
because Of the resOlute way in which
the more courageous wild beasts dispute
with msn hereabouts his preten.ions to
call himself lord Of the creation. on the
plains where the country is open and
easily trayerfed tigers never stay long
in one place, or are likely TO pay with
their hides If they do; but or the shout
ders OF the hills. surrounded by thickets
which are the fringe OF an interminablc
forest, the strip ed rajah OF the forest IS
ofteGtimes master of the situation, and
takes tribute from the cattle. goats and
dogs OF the community till lie can be
trapped or poisoned or until he goes for
some personal reason elsewhere. II r.
not so bad for the country people as
long as ne retains his natural dread of
man, which is so instructive that the
j. dian herd boy will often fearlessly save
his oxen by shouting at the attacking
tiger, and even fiinging his stick at him;
nor do the slender Indian girls shrink
from leading their goats to the stream
or fetching home wood and grass because
q tiger has killed a cow or kid mst be-
You'd the village.
But at one time or another tiger
who has been. like the rest OF his
KIND. terribly afraid of man I'm any shape
lays that dread aside on a sudden and
Forever and then becomes truly formida-
Die. IL Is perhaps I'm most cases the
result OF an unattended experiment The
courage OF the tiger is the courage not
OF pride, but of desperation, like that Of
a cat. He VIII get between the roots of
the trees or the cracks I'm the earth to
escape. but II escape be cut off he will
attack an elephant with armed sportsmen
should hurl himself against the masonry
OF fortress. In some fatal moment the
Hindoo girl going with her pitcher or
the native agriculturist, or the local post
man with his juggling bells. has passed
some spot where a tiger lay I'm walt
watching the distant cattle grazing or
waiting for night time TO visit some
tigress who has amorously responded 10
his roar. The beast has thought himself
perceived, has feared TO be cut off from
his usual retreat. or the victim has
shouted I'm terror making the tiger hys-
tericai with fright. and then, I'm n parOx-
ysm of rage and fear. IT has snaried
and sprung forth and dealt I'm frenzy
rather than design that terrible blow
with the forepaw which Will stun Wild
boar and dislocate the neckbone u bull.
Before his rear Of angry surprise has
echoed through the jungle the man, or
woman, or child lies n corpse under his
o,aws. and instinct forces hi TO 50 en-,
and 10 crunch the soft neck with his yell
low fanes. Then the secret is out; the
: ger has learned what poor forked
t ing this lord OF the creation is. hcU
feeble his natural for,es; how useless
for defense that eye that was e.. dreaded.
those hands that were 50 crafty: those
limbs that bore him so haughtily within
head to the sky. Moreover, the tiger has
tasted man and found him as savory 10
devour as he is easy 10 butcher. 3nd
from that time forth the brute neglects
no further opportunity, but becomes a
confirmed "man-eater."
There appeared the other day IN an
Indian newspaper letter from an Eng
iish official, who had come across an
instance where young tigress, I'm the
same manner alluded TO, had depopulatei
a district, killed dozens Of men and
women. and taken actual possession Of
a forest road and tract She began her
career I'm July by killing two women near
a forest village. and by the end OF the
December had slain az least
thirty persons, becoming holder and more
cunning with each fresh murder. Her
beat lay I'm some foot hills. and she roam
ed over an area OF twenty-five miles
long by three or four broad The coun-
try was such that she could neither be
tracked for any distance. nor driven
forth by heaters. She would not kill
a tied buffalo, nor would she go back
TO a corps il once disturbed. She be-
came at last so bold that she would in
open daylight carry on men and women
when cutting the crops In the terraced
nelds. stalking them from above. and
springing on them The terror
Of her ferocity spread through the coun-
try. The villagers left their homes for
safer regions, yet even in the forests the
,igress learned 70 stalk the sound Of an
axe. and made many victims before the
woods were proved 10 be even more dan
eerous than the fields had been. The
method OF attack adopted was so sudden
as 10 prevent any possibility Of escape:
the blow dealt was so deadly as 10 rem
der even a cry for help impossible. The
victim was dead and carried of before
his companions knew what had occurred.
Constant efforts were made Tor her
destruction. Poison. spring guns. and
dead falls were Intellectually resortcd 20.
any number Of buffaloes were tied up at
night, and many time the fresh tran
Of a Kill was taken up In hopes OF OBJ
talning a shot at the tigress but with
no result. AT last file OF soldiers were
requlsitioned TO see what force could do
TO remove this horrible animal. cunning
having been found OF no avail. The beast
was killed. and was found 10 be young
tIgress. In perfect condition; the pad OF
her left forefoot had at one time been
deeply cut from side 10 side. but had
healed. leaving however,
deep scar. which proved her presence
wherever she roamed-
The same account mentions one In
stance In which two COW herds, living I'm
a small, grass hut In somewhat Wild
forest. were cooking their food In the
evening, when this tigress suddenly
sprang on one and carried Lin on. His
inundated the animal with
shouts and threats and succeeded In max
Ing him leave his victim. Carrying his
wounded companion into the hut the
trembling Koombi closed the entrance
and waited for daylight. But this he