The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-06-29
A TIGERS AWFUL ATTACK.


Our camp had been pitched under
the wide-spreading branches of three
great trees. with an open plain all
about US Behind us was a small
creek now nearly dry, and between US
and the creek, a distance Of 100 feet.
were two bushes IN line and about
twenty feet apart. To have glanced
around him one would have said there
was not enough cover for a hare to
| approach us unpercelyed.
| The four Of Us came in early one
afternoon after having failed to rout
out a tiger which had been marked
down four or five miles away. We
had dinner bit earlier than usual
and the sun was still three quarters
of an hour high when we carried our
campo chairs outdoors and sat down
for smoke. There had been a show
er that afternoon and the evening WAS
delightfully."- pleasant. We sat down
in the form Of a square, with the
chairs perhaps six feet from the com
mon center Mai. Grill was exactly
in line with the bushes, back to them,
and | was exactly in front of him. To
the right and 100 feet away were the
three tents Of our natives, and our
horses We're staked out and grazing
1t was a scene Of peace and quietness
and no man had the remotest idea OF
| danger
What is it colonial? Looking for
snakes again? Ha. hal har'
The major was telling Us about hunt
ing his first tiger, and L had inter
rupted him to stand up and peer over
his head Somewhere between us and
the creek had caught movement
something like the flight of a shadow
made by a waving branch.
| sat down after a half a minute
rather ashamed of myself. and the
major went on with his story. While
[ listened l looked straight over his
left shoulder, and it was perhaps ten
minutes when [ detected the same
movement again. This time [ thought
| caught tieeting glimpse of the tip
of tigers tail, and my look of won
der and anxiety was ridiculed
"Why, man. the sight of those tiger
tracks to-day has unstrung your
nerves." exclaimed the major, after a
roar Of laughter. However, we've
all been new at the business in our
time and can sympathize with you"
Men dread ridicule | settled back
to pay close attention to the ma ior's
story and looked In every direction
except over his shoulder. Five min
utes had passed, and the trees above
US were casting long shadows toward
the creek when [ glanced at the bush
again. My eyes had scarcely turned
| that way when [ detected movement
through the foliage of the nearest
| bush. 1t was near the roots of the
bush, and l wondered if it was not q
pheasant seeking her nest.
why, man, you're looking over my
shoulder againw laughed the major
Come now, but what is it? Let's all,
stand up and have a look, Does any
one behold the 1.-THE, striped body Of
the dreaded man eater stealing upon
his human prey? Which of us has
he selected? When does the banquet
come off? Upon my word, colonel,
but you must get a bracer on your
nerves OF you'll miss your first tiger
at the muzzle of your rifle"
[ was indignant with myself for
having attracted such general atten-
ton, but the major had not been seat
ed 3 minutes when my eyes wandered
to the bush again. | saw the same
movement as before, but there was
something in addition [ caught a
CLINT of fire, ,,as if a live coal had been
passed from right to left. That be
lieved to be a tirefy. 1 had partly
jurned my head when something [
took to be a great bird rose above the
bush and came sailing towards US. 1t
alighted half way between us and
the bush, rose again as if on wings,
and the next instant man-eating
tiger crushed Maj Grill to the earth.
As he alighted upon the unfortunate
officer he struck a powerful blow with
his right fore paw, and that blow kill
ed the man.
4 tiger, A tiger. l heard the ser
wants shouting. But | did not move
Neither did the others. 1t came SO
swiftly and SO unexpectedly that we
were paralyzed for the moment. The
beast seized the major by the shoul-
der. gave him three or four shakes
and then let go and stood with his fore
feet on the body and looked at us and
growled and licked his chops. He
made circle In shaking the body and
his long tail struck our legs as he
moved. Half dozen of the servants
ran iuto the tent and armed them
selves, but they hadn't the nerve to
fire. The tiger turned and faced
them, his eyes cleaning and his fangs
displayed, and steady hand and true
eye could have dropped him with a
bullet The natives kept backing
away from him and finally threw down
the guns and scrambled up into the
trees; then the tiger turned and glar-
ed at us and kept up low growing.
After a long minute the beast siezed
the body by the shoulder, gave it a
twist over his back and went off at d
smart trot and was across the creek
before one of Us was on his feet. Ere
a hand ciutched rifle the tiger was
at the edge of the jungle, and it was
too late
From the bush nearest us to the
creek was shallow furrow scooped
out by the rains. The tiger had come
down the bed of the creek for quar-
ter of mile and then crawled up this
furrow. and at two or three points
had caught brief glimpse of HIM
His first spring was only twelve feet