The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-05-14
PLAY WITH A TIGER.

We were travelling along the north
branch OF the Gadavey river-sometimes
upon its banks, and al gain couple Of miles
from the water; sometimes travelling I've
or six miles a day, and again halting for a
couple Of days to fish or shoot-vhen a
most singular accident befell me individu-
ally.
had left camp at an early hour In the
morning for the purpose Of fishing. While
I carried my rife With me had no inten-
ton Of going out Of my way to find game.
On the previous afternoon had observed
what seemed to be q capital spot in the
bend Of the river, and it was to this place
I fastened as left camp. Some of the
native servants were astir and saw me set
out, but I did not want their services. It
was pretty thick jungle between the camp
and the bend, but at the bend there was a
clear spot Of an acre in extent with a heavy
forest growth and a ledge Of rocks for a
background.
As I took a look around before sitting
down on the bank to my sport I remarked
that it was q good spot for wild beasts, but
as there was nothing moving went right
to work with my fishing tackle. Catching
a frog for bait, flung in the hook, and it
wasn't i've minutes before was meeting
with such luck that all thoughts of tigers,
snakes, jackals and hyenas were driven
out of my mind.
had landed half dozen good sized fish
and was just then playing a larger one,
when a slight noise startled me, and I
looked around to see such a sight as has
seldom come to the eyes Of sportsman
A full grown tiger was within five feet of
me, playing with one Of the fish. 1t was
the last one pulled cut, and in its dying
agonies it was jumping about on the grass
Every time 10 moved the tiger would reach
out paw in a playful way, and once or
twice he struck hard enough to move the
fish three or four feet.
I tell you I was a badly frightened man,
and all I could do was TO sit there with
mouth and eyes open The tiger had crept
down from the bluffs, and why he hadn't
attacked me was mystery. He went from
fish to hsh, turning them over with his
paw, and time and again brushing me
with his tail as he moved about My rife
was ten feet away, leaning against a bush,
and might have been idiot enough to try
to reach it but for a warning
My personal servant had followed me to
see what luck had. He came into the
neighborhood while the tiger was playing
with the fish, and softly climbing a tree
he uttered the call of a bird to attract my
attention and then sang out: DO nothing
to provoke the tiger. master. He is a hilo-
Weele, and if you do not cross him he will
20 away" He meant that the spirit of a
good nature had been transformed, and it
was clearly the common sense way to fol-
low his advice.
AS the beast gave me no attention I
turned to the fish Juggling at the end Of
my line and landed him. He was of good
size and full of vitality. and the tiger
waited in a playful way until I removed
the hook and threw the fish on the grass.
Then he sprang for it as a kitten would
for ball Of yarn, and he played with it
in the same way It was laughable, in
spite of the circumstances to witness his
actions.
He would run around IN circles, as you
have seen a young dog do, sometimes al
most leaping over me, and then again he
would become the cat and creep softly for
ward to pounce upon one Of the fish. Each
one as caught was flung to him. and it
was a full half hour before he grew tired
of the sport. expected he would turn to
me sooner or later, but the native saw the
change of demeanor first and called;
Master, the hiloweele is going to play
with you. Be as clay in his power
Tho tiger suddenly left the last fish
landed and came stalking over to me, pur-
ring like a cat and acting very playfully-
His first move was to worm his head under
my left arm, and i m telling you the
solemn truth when I say that smoothed
down his fur as if he had been a favOrite
dog. I had on q big straw hat, and this he
got hold of in his teeth and played with it
for ten minutes, or until he had torn it all
to pieces. I had no more bait to fish with
and sat there waiting for the tigers next
move.
When he had finished the hat, he came
over and rubbed his head against me and
purred in a pleased way, and rubbed him
with my hand from nose to tail. grad
ually got over my scare, but was yet very
anxious to know how the affair would end.
The sun was getting we'll up and very hot,
and the beast would soon be seeking his
lair In about so minutes from the time
he appeared the tiger began to show a
change of demeanor- He became nervous
and uneasy, and the hair on his back stood
up at intervals. judged that he had got
the scent of my servant, and such proved
to be the case.
dared not rise TO my feet, but made
up my mind that if the tiger attacked me
I should make a spring of the bank into
the river. lit was infested with crocOdiles,
but there was not much choice between
being eaten by beast or saurian.
Once the tiger glared at me and growled,
but the next moment whined as if afraid
and edged up toward me as if for prOteo-
ton. The servant had been keeping a
watehful eye on my strange playmate, and
he now believed the time had come for de-
oisive action. He therefore fred his pistol
and shouted at the top Of his voice. The
effect was immediate. The beast dropped
his tail, uttered a long drawn whine, and,
with a sort of farewell glance at me, he
bolted for the forest and disappeared. 1
had looked him over pretty well and had
noticed, among other things, that be had
a broken claw on the right paw. We did
not break camp that day
just before sunset as we sat in groups
smoking our pipes, q tiger charged boldly
in among the servants and seized one and
attempted to make off. We rallied to pre-
vent, and the beast knocked two other
men over before he was dispatched. When
we came to examine the body, had not
the slightest difficulty in Identifying it as
that of my playmate Of ahe morning. -Ex-