The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-11-11
THE JHOTT DEMON.
The Death of a Blind Tiger who had
a Monkey for a Guide.

monkey ior u Uulue.
The great Jhoot demon described by
Col Downing in his narrative OF adven-
lures in India was tiger whose WAYS
were as mysterious as his ravages were
terrible. He could never be bagged.
He killed every shikari, native or Euro
pean. who tried il. This truculent beast
had never even been seen, and as he
never mangled body, but only sucked
the blood through an orifice made over
the jugular vein, the terror the great
Jhoot demon inspired 10 not surprising.
He never forced door, yet he got into
house after house. Two subalterns went
out for him. and the next day were
found dead like the rest.
One with his last strength had man
aged TO scratch the words: "Look out
for a l." But no amount of con-
lecture could solve the riddle of these
words. A famous shot, who once for a
wager shot 100 tigers in twelve months,
met the same fate. He, too, left a
"creepy" and mysterious message-the
letters "A. NJ" Then the Colonel goes.
He built himself an ambush and
watched.
"Just as the full ligh. Of the moon
fell upon the stream and illuminated the
surroundings there was an almost maud
ible rustic of leaves close behind me,
and, turning on the instant, saw lit
tie graybrown paw very cautiously put
ting aside the twigs of my shelter. and
behind the paw | could discern two
small green eyes attentively regard
ing me.
"'A lungoor, i said to myself, as it
vanished from view-a monkey. That's
what the lads and Dick Culverton meant
TO tell us, and, by George! there's mis-
chief here. Moved by sudden inspirs-
ton, for which / cannot to this day ac-
count, | fastened from the shelter and
ascended the adjoining tree. / had
scarcely time TO seat myself comfortably
upon one of the lower branches when |
saw the lungoor returning, followed by
the most repulsive looking monster my
eyes have ever beheld.
You talk, Snapper, OF your tiger be-
ing NANCY; this one was absolutely
naked. nude as a nut, bald as a bottle,
not hair anywhere huge, ghastly.
glabrous monstrositv-a very Cs!iban Of
tigers. as big as bison, and as long as
crocodile.
As the ghastlv creature crept after the
monkey he followed the slightest curve
and deviation of his guide with the def
cate alacrity of needle under the influ-
ence Of magnet. The adroitness
displayed by the tiger was suddenly
converted into subject of horrifed
wonder, for as the brute approached the
ambush he turned his hdeous face up to
the moon, and l could see that his eyes
were of dull dead white, without
light, intelligence, or movement. The
creature was stone blind. For all that,
he evidently knew. or thought he knew,
what lay before him, for the saliva Of
anticipation was clnging to his wrinkled
jaws like mass of cleaning icicles.
"The monkey. when he had come
within jumping distance. gave low sig
nal cry, made one vigorous spring into
my late shelter, alighted upon my camp
stool and sprang out again on the other
side. He was instantly followed by the
tiger. who fell like an avalanche upon
the stool, crushing it to match wood, and
at once began to feel about on all sides
for his expected victim.
"NOw was my chance. Beneath me
in the broad light of the full moon lay
the demon Of the Jhoot aimed steadily
at a deep furrow between the shoulder
blades and held my breath for the shot.
At that moment the keen eyes OF the
monkey caught sight of me, and the little
animal uttered shrill note Of warning;
but it was too late: my finger was upon
the trigger, and fired both barrels in
quick uccession.-[ London Truth.