The Helena independent., 1893-12-14


camp, which was about half mile from
the thicket. A sort of easy chair was made
for me at the foot of a tree, and one of the
natives was left to attend to my wants. I
heard the hunters beating up the game,
but the pain took away my interest in the
hunt had my boot off, and the man was
softly rubbing my ankle with brandy.
when all Of q sudden he fastened his eyes
on something behind me, and his face be.
came terror stricken. e
"What is it-a snake" whispered.
''No-the tiger!'' he gasped in reply.
.'Is he close at handY'
."Not 80 feet away, sahib. and looking
right at u.s."
My gun was 10 feet away, and we were per-
fectly helpless. Overhead was safety, but
before I could reach my feet and pull my
self up by branch the tiger would have me.
"Can you catch the branch over your
head?" asked of the native.
"Yes, sahib, but cannot leave you."
'Save yourself if you can, or we shall
both be knocked over. II you spring into
the tree, the tiger may be frightened off by
your action"
The man Strengthened up and made q
spring and the next instant was safe in the
branches. He was hardly quiet before I
heard the tread of the tiger in the dry grass
a few yards away, and the native whispered:
''Say your prayers, sahib. He is here!''
In few seconds the tiger came up. was
lying at full length, my head considerably
higher than my feet, and 80 I saw his every
move He looked me full in the face and
uttered a low growl, but it was not one of
anger. saw that the beast was full of Gu
riosity and wonder, and hope sprang up in
my heart.
He shifted at my right hand, which lay
beside me, passed his nose down to my
injured foot, and the fumes of the brandy
seemed to delight him. He lay fiat down
and began to lick my foot and ankle. His
tongue was hot as fire and as rough as a
cows, and WINGED now and then in spite
of my efforts not to. 1t was something
new for the man eater and he was delighted.
He licked away until I thought he had
taken all the skin off, and then he rolled
over and over on the blanket as you have
seen a cat do after feeding.
The hunters and beatcrs had been quiet
all this time, having come together for
counsel, but now they began to shout and
t0mtom, and the noise came down to us
very distinctly. The tiger sat up and
shifted the air and growled. A gun was
fired, and he growled again, looked up at
the native in the tree, around the camp and
down at me, and then deliberately walked
off into the woods. Next day he was
routed out of his lair by the beaters, and
without being wounded or unduly angered
he charged among them with great ferocity
| and killed two and wounded third
Eighteen months later, in the Bengalese
district, went out to village called Man
day with two officers to see if we could not
rid the neighborhood of a man eater who
had as bad a reputation as the other. The
beast was SO bold that he entered the vii
lage almost nightly, invariably coming and
going by a certain route. The nights were
bright moonlight, and when the sun went
down we commanded the people to keep
quiet and took up the stations selected to
cover the approach. was the nearest to
the hut-indeed, was seated beside one of
the huts which had been vacated by its ter
ror stricken owner. The next man was $50
feet away and the next aO0 We had
planned for a converging fire on one par
ticular spot.
The tiger had always appeared between
and 10 o'clock. Ten o'clock came, and we
had seen nothing of him. Ipulled out my
watch again and had just noted that it
was 1890 when l heard a. loud purring close
to my ear. and the next instant the man
eater was beside me. The shock was SC
sudden that l almost tainted, and there
must have been a full minute when was
unconscious of what was going on. On the
ground beside me was large red silk hand.
kerchief When l could realize what was
passing, the tiger was playing with that
exactly as II cat would. He tossed it up,
caught it, pulled it along the ground, ant,
for three or four minutes he hai great fun.
When he was through, he rubbed against
me and purred. and with my left hand
smoothed his back. The old fellow purred
louder, but after moment some noise in
the village disturbed him, and he uttered a
low growl and walked of without even
turning his head. Five minutes later he
attempted to leap into the window of a hut,
| got caught in the small opening, and we
| killed him while he was thus held a pris.
oner. There was a witness as to what hap
pened between the tiger and myself. I'm
| known to me. one of the hunters had slipped
| to ono of the huts for drink of water, and
| he saw the tiger skulking along between
| the hu,s, having entered the village by q
| new route He was not over 40 feet from
| us when tho beast made himself SO agree.
| able
While In the lion country of South Africa
| a party Of 80 OF us were one day crossing a
! sandy plain. We were not within mile
of the woods. and 1t was the hottest hour
of the day. A sudden cry was raised, and Il
| big lion came charging us across the hot
| aapds He came from the woods. and that