Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-10-04
THE MAN EATER.
-Four Desolate Villages Left and Yet An
other Nfetlm.

-Four Desolate Villages Left and Yet An
other Victim.
1t is a VILLAGE on a Bengalese highway,
village of 80 or 10 huts strung out in
line, with the jungle for n background
and the wretched dwellings almost hidden
from sight by n row of trees along the
road. 1t is high noon now, and as we rest
under n trec and look into the village
procession of people comes toward us. IL
Is not a funeral procession, not march,
not a band going out to work or worship.
1t is the flight of 600 panic stricken men,
women and children. Each one bears n
burden, and each one looks around in APP
prchension and increases his pace as the
village Is left behind. Are they flying
from fever or cholera or dread of a jungle
flrc which may surround themy Have
they heard that n band of robbers is Turk
ing in the tangled forest beyond their
patty fields, waiting for night to come to
descend upon the village and rob the peo-
pie even of their ragged lOin clothes! Is
there danger that n storm away up in the
hills will overflow tho ditchaz aud tiIuH4a
DIS ais rill1go'
No, it Is nothing they fear, and yet 1t is
something they fear worse than death it
self. Only an hour ago native runner en-
tered the village, pale and brCathless, to an
nouncc that "A man eating tiger had taken
up his quarters on tho highway between
that and the Village five miles to the north.
1t is not fear, but apprehension, nervous
terror, a feeling of hclplcssncss, which has
sent them flying. Where to? No one
knows nor cares nor has considered that
question. The idc; is to bc miles away be
fore the sun gOCs down and the man eater
Is ready to 20 in search of his evening meal.
He may seek it in that village in the 9th
err, in one a dozen miles away. The man
cater may crouch in one spot for hours,
waiting for n victim to pass, or he may
roam the country over from dark To dawn
1t is not this village alone. The people are
| flying from four others in the same panic
stricken manner. Seven hundred men,
| women and children leaving home behind,
1000 acres of crops left to ripcn and rot,
because n man eater Is abroad, and no ono
knows who will hc his next victim, al
| though the BCngalcsc believe that one 5
| days are numbered, and that death must
| come when the mark has been reached.
| An hour after the flight the vulturcs and
hycnas are fighting over the spoils left be-
| hind.
The sun hastcns into the west, sinks
lower and lower, and by and by the rid
| ball of fire drops out of sight, and darkn
| comes. There Is no twilight, no glolm-
| ing. Five minutes ago 1t was daylight.
| Now ii is night. Two miles to the north
n nullah or creek comes down from the
east and crosses the highway. 1t flows in
| the bed of a ravinc checked with bush and
bricr and plant and crCrpnr, and there Is
| so little water that there is no bridge over
| the highway. Once over the highway il
flows into another ravinc, equally dark
! and gloomy, and 100 miles away its Wa
| tiers find n great river. At the first notes
of the night birds the man cater is aroused,
| His lair is a milo from the highway and
| in tanglc so thick that men might have
| looked for him in vain. He wakes from
| his deep sleep with dry lips and parChCt
tongue, and he whinCS and complains u,
he crccps down to the brook and ScarChC:
for pool into which to plunge his hCat
until il is almost immersed. He drink:
long and deep, like n horse which ha'
travCrscd the desert from dawn to dark
When his thirst is mt last satisfied, h
stretches himself, growls his satisfaction
and turns and faces down the raVinC
There is nothing left of the man he killer
the night before. What he did not cat thu
jaCkals were waiting to dcvOur. lie i
hungry again. and he must kill tn live.
With u football as soft rs that of rab
bit, though brtraying his presence ever.
minute or two by an angry snarl ut busl
or rock or gliding serpent. the man cate
makes his way down the r;IVinc. At tn
to the north and the south To learn il amy
| thing Is moving. There Is no one To ~
! him, nothing to disturb him. and with
couple OF bounds aud u CatlikC hiss lr /
| across the road and hidden in bushes tx
! yuud. lie turns as hr enters the lu>in'> hn'
faces the road and his Lair II i the Graf
! of the man eater la de- this, tu face in tn
direction hc means tndr,Ig his victim. NJ
hour lsucs by. Two hours slip away. Tn
| H.. b,N-.s Inn
man bcing has travC led this ruId since III
sun was within an hour Of setting. Ih
man eater has settled himself down wit
many "a complaining grrwl and whine
but not To- sleep while lac waits. His ear
work nervously, and his eyes blaze and hi
tail quivCrs rs he bidcs his time.
\ bclatcd villagCr, who has been tn
distant market, with his pruucc luIdCd al
the back Of patient. numbering OX-h
has not heard of the man eater, Of the High
of his family and friends He rides the q
a. he returns He fears thcrc may h,
tiger or panther lurking along the high
way, and when not absolutely quiet hC i
Whispering prayers for protection. Tn
tiger hears the step of the ok u long WA
of. Ills kern sighted eyes tell him in tn
darkness what is approaching. The OK al
yanccs with u plutl, plOd, plOd, luukin
furtivvly to right and left AT intervals, bu
scouting nu danger. lie comes tO til
crsck. swallows tho cud hc has bCen chew
ing as he pleaded along and lowers hi
head tn drink. As suddenly rs the Ppor
OF gun reaches ones ears, hc hears al
angry ruar. feels sharp claws pricking hi
flesh, and rs he rtIshcs up the rUad thrIuE;
the darkness he Is alone. The tiger
spring was not for him Before the u
has gallOpcd mile the man eater In
dragged his victim half way up the ravin
to the spot where We found him n tn
sun went down. lie will feast again u
night and sleep away the morrow.
| VI nT'An
CHECKERS AND CHESS.