Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-03

A story From Ceylon Told in q Hotel
Lobby to . Star Reporter.

Dore Lawton. who has spent some time
In the Island Of Ceylon. and a reporter
for The Star had q talk last night in the
lobby Of the Shoreham. Speaking OF Chez
tabs" he said. Il want to tell you a story
Of a battle between English mastiffs and
. thoroughbred Ceylonese cheetah. There
IL a very general impression that the Chez
tab and the royal Bengal tiger are just
about the same thing. but this isn't 50.
The main difference in them is that the
former Is not 30 blood-thirsty as the lat
ter. Right down In his heart he Is not a
man-eater. but he can digest that kind
of meat when occasion requires. AS
a rule. he will give the human brother
hood a wide berth. but II you corner him
there is no telling how hard he can fight.
Stir him up. and he will make the fur fly
in fast and furious fashion. He has been
known to lie In wait along the mountain
roads for human prey, but these instances
are rare, and his manivorous taste is not
very highly developed. There are many
authentic statements recorded where Chez
tabs, at certain seasons Of the year, have
appeared in the mountain villages. gener-
ally seeking the fires which have been
lighted for cooking purposes on the hard
earth floors of the rude huts. Then the
population migrate, leave the cheetah to
his glory and report at the neighboring
village that the animals are working havoc
among the hogs and humans. On one &C.
casion of this kind, Capt. Baker, the great
oriental sportsman, made an investigation
on the spot shot cheetah as II stood
before the fireplace in a hut. and made the
discovery that the animal had sought the
warmth because Of q peculiar disease OF
the jaws and teeth. On examining the
mouth Of the dead cheetah he saw that
the gums were full Of maggots, and these.
when warmed by the fire, would crawl far
enough out Of the sockets Of the teeth to
be reached by the cheetah's claws There
was coffee planter who lived near Handy.
whose bungalow was in the mountains. and
whose name was Dawson. He had q
number Of fine China pigs, which became
the apple Of the cheetah's eye. The feline
tribesman made nightly calls. and the pork
ers were borne of one by one. Attempts
to shoot the intruder failed. Two Eng
lish mastiffs. belonging to a neighboring
planter, were invited over and placed In
the piggery. Dawson. his neighbor and
myself wrapped ourselves in heavy coats.
for the nights in those parts are very chill.
and climbed into q crows nest. which had
been built In q tree top near by. The early
hours Of the night were as dark as Erebus
and Jagged painfully. the oppressive still
ness being now and then broken by the
cry of some wild denizen Of the jungle.
Toward o'clock the pale light OF the moon
nickered through the dense foliage. Cooped
up In the nest, we were half asleep, when.
with q cat-like screech, a magnificent
cheetah bounded over the palings OF the
Enclosure, and for an instant crouched to
take q survey of the situation. The mastin
closest the outside. and very near as large
as the cat. bounded at him, and was struck
dead with a single blow from the cheetah
which then quietly approached the pen.
The other mastin. a female. doubly en-
ragged at the fate Of her mate, with a ter
rifle growl, fastened her fangs deep in the
throat Of the cat. A red-hot fight followed.
With screeches, Kisses and growls, the cat
and dog rolled over and over, the cheetah
making desperate efforts to break the dog s
hold, but 1t was no go. The mastin had
come to stay. Dawson got down from the
nest in quick order. and with well-aimed
pistol shot sent the cheetah to its last
long home. The dog was horribly injured.
1t having been literally disemboweled by
the claws of the great cat. She was sent
via rail to the Marine Hospital at Colombo.
sewed up and carefully nursed back to
health. The cheetah measured seven and
one-half feet from the end of his nose to
the tip Of his tail, and was about the larg-
est ever killed in that district. 1 tell you,
sir. the cheetah is a cat from away back.
No dog is anything like a match for II in
a fair fight. The cheetah is a worthy kins-
man of the Bengal tiger, and with the
latter animal no lion is to be compared in
strength, agility or fighting qualities"