Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-02-15
ODD TRAITS OF THE TIGER.

The Striped Beast Has a Curious Blending
OF COwardIce and Courage.
One of the most extraordinary fea-
lures of the tigers nature is the ex-
treme courage and the ultra cowardice
which seem to be so blended as to give
rise to the strongest expressions of diff
ference of opinion when two or more
experienced hunters are gathered to-
gether. The best illustration of this
popularity of that giant cat of Bengal
are given in the recitation of the fol-
lowing stories of actual occurrences:
AS for extreme courage, December
%, 1892, party of English hunters set
out for Sawgar island, bay of Bengal.
for the double purpose of killing tigers
and deer. Their equipment and ex-
perience were ample, and the par
ty of four was headed by a son
of Sir Hector Monroe These gen.
tlemen landed in the morning,
hunted with success for deer all day,
until about four in the, afternoon the
heat caused them to seek the shade at
the edge of the jungle. They prepared
refreshments. even to building fire for
cooking their game. While the meal
was under full headway of preparation
young Monroe looked up and declared
that he saw a deer not far from them
He seized his gun and started for the
spot. He had not taken twenty steps
from the camp when his companions
heard a dreadful roar, saw at the same
instant large tiger spring upon poor
Monroe. and, seizing the man by the
shoulder with his teeth, the beast
turned and rushed back into the Jungle,
dragging the form of Monroe after it
with the greatest ease, saplings, vines
and small bushes all bending ard
breaking before the amazing strength
of the tiger.
All that Monroe's companions could
do was done instantly, as only trained
hunters can do-they fired all together
at the tiger-end it was evident to them
that their shots took effect, because al
most as soon as the smoke blew aside
Monroe came staggering out from the
thicket covered with blood, reached the
camp fire and fell. Everything that
medical services could render was done
for him, the ships surgeon coming
right ashore. but it was all in vain The
young man expired after the course of
twenty-four hours in the greatest
agony. His Lead was torn, his skull
fractured and his neck and shoulders
chewed and torn by the teeth and claws
of the savage beast. Here was a squad
OF men standing around blazing fire,
talking, laughing, and yet, though in
broad daylight, all this was not enough
to divert that determined tiger from
making the attack, and that bound
with which the ambushed animal threw
itself upon Monroe was as wonderful
in its extent as it was terrible in its
effect
AS for its cowardice: On the same day
that the above tragedy transpired an.
other party of English ladies and gen.
tlemen in the Bengal district left the
shelter of an army post for picnic OF
the banks Of a lovely little stream tha,
ran into the bay not far away. The
lunch cloth had just been spread and
the excursionists were taking their
positions around it on the grass under
the shade of trees when one of them.
speechless with horror, pointed to the
form OF huge tiger. not twenty feet
away, crouched in form for its fatal
spring. All looked, when instantly
one of the ladies laid hold of her para
sol, rose to her feet and stepping quick
~ directly over to where the beast was
rapidly opened and shut it in the ami.
mals face. The tiger quickly wheeled
about and bounded swiftly off. Per-
haps ii is not strictly correct to call
this an exhibition of poltroonery on
the part of the tiger; it may have been
utterly confused by the presence OF
mind displayed by that young woman
and turned tail confounded rather than
scared The lady herself. after the
affair was over. became completely un.
nerved. and her associates had to re-
turn At once to the post with her :,