Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-12-13
A Scrimmage with a Tiger.

icCcifou hdSey Hosc iioAi my
friend Captain H., intimating that
a skill" having taken place at Te-
lowlie, four miles off, he proposed
looking up the tiger, and gave me
due notice, in case l wished to share
the fun.
Of course l was soon ready to be
off, and dispatched my servants,
with small battery of breech and
barrel leaders, to HIS bungalow,
waiting his arrival with what pa
tience | might. BY ten o'clock he
rode up, bringing camel for my
use; and the elephants and beaters
having gone on ahead, we cantered
on leisurely.
An hours easy riding brought
us to the rendezvous, where pret-
ty exciting scene greeted us. I'm
der the mango trees were grouped
about eighty-si1 beaters, elephants,
Sowars belonging to HIS regiment,
and volunteers from the village,
all eager for the work, and breath
ing out death and obstruction to
the tiger, which they affirmed to be
one | had followed and lost two
years ago. After some talk and
difference of opinion as to the best
way of working the jungle, H. and
| started on foot for the "mool"
where we arranged to post ourselves,
as the likeliest place for the tiger
breaking cover.
| clambered up one tree, and H.
another, and when conveniently
seated, sent back word for the beat
ers to commence proceedings, which
they speedily did in their useful
fashion, kicking up noise enough
to rouse the names of every de-
funct cow in the district. Shout
ing, beating tom-toms, blowing
horns, and in short, making such a
hullabaloo as only natives can make,
and which was calculated to drive
even a tiger from its lair, is strange
ly exciting. Sometimes, if a jungle
is little open the tiger can be
seen for considerable time before
coming within shot; and then,
as with straining eyes you watch
his stealthily, cat-like creep, how
the nerves tingle, and what specu-
lation as to whether the first chance
will be yours crowd OH the brain.
Our first draw" was blank, SO
we held counsel with our ally, the
village kakoor, as to the next
move, and finally elected to try an
other patch at the jungle.
H. and I scrambled to our new
trees, and | was busily employed
lighting my pipe, when | heard a
whisper below me, and looking
down, deserted H. gesticulating
violently. Slipping down, ! heard:
Look sharp, the tigers afoot;
we must get back"
Back we went, scrambling into
the best trees we could find; mine
was a miserable sapling, the effort
to perch on which gave me cramp,
and nearly upset me in more ways
than one.
Bang, jingle, roar, shrek, went
the beaters; and then l forgot my
misery. Suddenly l heard the fir
ing of riAe-shot, followed by a
low whistle, the signal that the
tiger was hit.
Down H. and jumped, making
for the elephant to follow up the
wounded animal. But the first
shot, fired by one of the Sowars
had been mortal, and so, having
put a couple of barrels into her to
make certain, we lugged a'fine full
grown tigress out of the scrub.
This was not bad. But we knew
the male was near somewhere, so
another beat was arranged; and the
coolies had scarcely cleared their
throats, when out bounded n splen-
did tiger.
H. had the first chance, but could
not get shot; and before the brute
was within any range a Sowar fired
snap shot that hit him hard,
though too far back to be fatal.
He was then just under my tree,
and the challenge he roared back
actually seemed to shake me; on he
crashed through the bushes, disap-
pearing from our sight.
Stealthily descending, we gave
him time to lie down, and then,
mounting the elephants, followed
him.
NV luck was in the ascendant
now, as before we had gone couple
of hundred yards, ] caught sight of
the tiger crouching under the thick
foliage of a corrunchur bush.
Pointing him out to H., ] fired
right and left, and as he made no
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