Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-09-04
sport" IN INDIA.
TO INTEREST THE NATIVES IT
MUST BE CRUEL.
Hunting Deer by a Panther's Aid
How Wrestlcrs Are Maintained
and Their EXercises-The
Battle of Hands.

to the European. Sport, TO be appre-
ciated by the average Hindoo, must
have something cruel about it, either
TO man or animal, and ii uncruel, then
1t has no interest. But despite this
assertion, however, rue as It is, it
must not be forgotten that We are in
I debted to the Manipuris for polo, by
whom it was introduced into British
c~antOaments.
The Hindoos are great cock-ighters.
Large sums of money are spent on
these contests, nor ere the birds furn-
ished with spurs to make the fight
still more sanguinary. The cocks use
only natures weapons, andthe wounds
indicated are severe enough to satisfy
the Hindoo craving for bloody spec
tacles.
OF horse racing the Hindoo IS pas
sionately fond, and a race Will practi-
cally close all business. l have seen
the Government printing Offices at
Allahabad closed because the compost
tors abandoned their cases to see the
initial meet of the Gym Khana. \
steeDlechase where there is every pos
sib.lity of some one being thrown
exsrts a wonderful fascination on the
people who do not hesitate TO call
themselves the greatest physical
towards in the world.
Their hunting, too, is of the cruel
order. Panthers, or, as they are called
in India, cheetahs, are trained to pur-
sue deer and kill them. There Is no
risk attaching to the hunters, bat
there is a great deal of danger to the
unfortunate shekari who trains the
ferocious beast. The panther Is blind
folded, a leash is passed around his
middle, and he is thus led to the plain
where deer can be found, OF to where
the deer have been driven by a swarm
of beaters. The a~ssemblage, mounted
upon elephants or horses or in convey
ances, keep a respectful distance from
the cheetGh, who is led into the open
and the hood quietly removed and the
leash slipped. The cheetah, when fu-
riously hungry has been knownto turn
upon his trainer as the quickest prey,
and this is the supreme, the agonlzing
moment. The cheetah stands straight,
his forelegs stiffening and his tail
slowly moving. He purrs like 4 huge
cat, looks angrily around him, then,
~crogching, bounds after his prey.
"Shabash =" is the exclamation "He
has not killed the trainer, but |
thought he would surely turn on him, "
anda gentle sigh of disappointment
escapes from the lips of the provider
of the fun.
The cheetah catches his victim and
Selling it by the throat, buries his
fangs deeply, sucking in the blood
with greedy gasps. The trainer ap-
proaches gently, so gently that his
football a scarcely be heard. The
cheetah is growing %ominously. His
tail beats his sides in ferocious impa-
thence. Quietly the man steals to-
ward the c%rouching beast and slipsthe
hood over the eyes, then the leash Is
passed around and all danger IS
averted. But not quite. For the head
has to be severed, still leaving in the
oheetah's mouth a goOdly lump OF
bleeding flesh.
There Is nothing very sportsmanhke
in this performance, but there IL a
great deal of danger attaching to 1t,
and that danger devolves upon one
man. l have heard of cases where the
PANTHER has absolutely refused to chase
the deer, but has devoted his entire
time and attention 10 the hunting
party. Then the game was not voted
d success.
The Hindoos are great deyotees Of
wrestling, and Punjab produces giants.
Indeed the best wrestlers come from
the north. There men T trained
from early infancy. The wrestler
trains from babyhood. He is picked
ont on account of his strength, and his
exercises commence when he is but
small tot. Every muscle is strength
ened by an appropriate exercise.
had a friend who was a great athlete
and kept three or four of these bulky
fellows 10 teach him wrestling. TC
harden their calf muscles these chaps,
six feetand over, would hop about the
floor tor hours together IN a squattlne
position, while for increasing the dl-
mansions of their biceps and the caest
muscles thew would first lie flat on the
Ground. then raising themselves on the
tins of the toes and with hands vel
turned in they would commence tC
move up and down, putting all then
weight on their arms. They woulc
continue this until they had done Il
1000 times. 4 man who has not exer.
cised does well If he can keepit up FOL
three or five minutes. After exercis
inc thew would drink milk and a coarse
sweetmeat made of ghi, clarified but
ter and sugar. Being Hindoos they
only trained on milk and CHI anC
sugar. The prizes they wrestled FOL
were enormous and huge sums were
put mp by their patrons.
The wrestlers are not independent
They generally attach themselves Il
some ardent sport, who pays them SC
mucha month. They form part o
his encourage, and these sports otieI
enormous sums to get wrestlers away
from their rivals. Occasionally thu
snort issues a challenge to another
snort. couched in the anne language
As a nan would offer 70 wager his blr,
against another mans bird.
The pailwar, or wrestler, who win
is always handsomely rewarded, some
times with "a money present, but gen
orally with jeweIry. They wrestle 10
necklaces-great gold nuts threade,
on a string. The wrestling ground 1
in the open air and on freshly turne.
earth. They are net unattended b.
mishans. for have been present whel