The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1893-11-23

large bullock the night before, SO that
they might be expected to lie gorged
all day in close cover.
We distributed among the natives
lot of hand grenades, and then our
whole force, about sixty men, moved
off to the jungle.
One glance at it showed that ele-
plants could not have penetrated the
thicket. Indeed it was difficult to i'm
agine how even the 1.-the, slim natives
were to find way into this fearful
place.
1t was about three hundred acres in
extent, and densely covered with wild
fig, cotton, cork, peepul and other
trees all interlaced with gigantic creep
ers and prickly, clinging tendrils,
twined and twisted from the ground
up, into a fantastic mass of rank vege-
tation seeming impervious to any liv-
ing thing. Yet we knew that it's dark
recesses teemed with noXious and We
nomous, life.
On the advice of the head man, we
ten Europeans took stations about one
hundred yards apart along one edge
of the baree, while the natives were to
enter from the other side, and if pos
sible drive the tigers out.
If the jungle had been an open one,
nothing could have induced the men
to undertake the task; but as tigers
do not climb trees, these would always
furnish means of escape i'll case of
need.
Each of the beaters, in addition to
his curious weapons and handgren-
AIDES, carried rude drum, horn, or
some other noisy instrument. When
the natives were fairly within the
wood they began to work slowly to-
ward us with tremendous din.
Dozens of jackals, and other infer
ior brutes, disturbed by the hideous
racket, broke cover early in the hunt
and skurried past, us into the long
grass of the open plain, without draw
| ing shot. We were not inclined to
make game of anything less interest
; ing than tigers.
/ was about the centre of the line.
Next me to the right was Maitland,
and beyond him Smythe, an expert
/ enced hunter. For three hours we
thus stood watching and waiting. The
sun had climbed high up before the
wells and exploding grenades OF the
beaters proved that they were gradu-
ally closing in on us.
Yet we had seen no sign of the I'll
gers, which, however, were just as
likely to be lying within twenty feet
of any one of us as anywhere else.
A few minutes more of anxious sus-
pense, and we could see, reflected In
the tops of the taller trees, occasional
flashes of the fireworks. We could
even hear the valorous words with
which the creeping beaters sought to
encourage one another. Still no IT,
ger
1 had begun to think that our hunt
would end without find, when off a
little way to my right heard a whln-
ing purr, much resembling, though
greatly louder than, that of domes-
tic cat rudely aroused from Its nap
The tigers were up at last, and stretch
ing themselves. Dodging behind my
tree, with rifle ready, | waited a little
nervously, for the next move. Inc
beaters came steadily on, with ever
increasing noise and accelerated hre,
apparently covering every inch OF the
ground.
Soon | heard the indescribable, VI
brating screeches, half snarl, hall
roar. with which full grown tiger
and tigress leaped over the fringe OF
outlying bushes and loped away along
the edge of the baree.
They were no more than SIXTY lee'
from me and made sure of the one
nearest, as l threw up my rifle and
touched the trigger. But the h"lillier
fell softly ON damaged cartridge
and when | hastily replaced 1t by an
other and fired, scored clear miss
Too late now for third trial.
'Mark right" shouted, and hearu
next moment the crack OF Frank Mal''
lands rifle, followed by scream from
one of the flying brutes.
"Mark right |" shouted FRANK