Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-10-07

Photographing Z Tiger In the Very Act
Of SpvInglng.
Speaking Of realistic pictures OF
animals" said New York dealer IN
Wild beasts to a writer for the Wash
ington Star. II recall seeing In India
about two years ago q tiger photo
graphed under very exciting circum-
stances. A party of natives were go
ing about In Ragpootana with fuil-
grown Bengal tiger. which they had
tanned, as they called 1t. What they
really did. however was to keep l.
tightly roped by all four legs and by
the neck, and each man held on by
main force to a stout rope. In this
way they led the tiger, or the tiger lee
them, as you please, from place to
place on exhibition.
"Well, In the course Of their wander
ings," continued the dealer. they
came to village near Bombay, where
a photographer happened to be pass
ing through, and he, hearing of tho
strange company, sent for them. Now,
about the only performance that the
tiger "a particularly savage beast) had
in his repertoire was killing animals.
and 1t occurred to the artist that an in
Simultaneous photograph of the great
brute in the very act of striking down
it's victim would make an interesting
picture. So arrangements were made.
A full-grown buffalo was procured and
taken out to the edge of the jungle,
where it was tethered with twenty
five feet of rope to stake.
1.-THE photographer took up his sta
ton on foot outside of the radius OF the
animals tether and the tiger was then
brought up on the opposite side and
shown it's victim. At once 1t fixed its
dreadful, glazing eyes on the doomed
creature. It's lips curled back In a
hideous snarl, and 1t began to move
steadily towards the buffalo. The
ropes were then one by one slipped Oft.
and there, twenty yards apart, stood
| the two beasts But the buffalo gave
no sign of fright or even consciousness
! Of any danger.
"It simply stood staring in help
less sort Of fascination at the advanc-
| lIk UIulc. AZ III ob thO sAoNh 1890
crouched, but now 1t stood erect, and,
with restless tail, and teeth all flashing
| out Of the red gums, stepped slowly
| forward across the intervening space.
Foot by foot the interval between buf.
| falo and death-cruel, relentless, in
| evitable-was diminished. Yet the
great horned beast never stirred. Its
| eyes were fixed on the tigers. Its
breath came quick and hot from Its
nostrils. Once and again, end onct
more, the beast of prey paced on-and
then stopped. 1t was within striking
distance.
1.-The buffalo's sides were now heav'
ing rapidly, and its terror was audible
in its painting, and then, quick as !
flash of lightning, the great striped
body was launched through the air
There was a dull sound as it STRUCK
the buffalo, and, as If smitten by
thunderbolt, the hugh animal, its necl
broken by the blow Of the tigers fore
arm fell. At this moment, this indie
Unable point of time, the artist touche,
the trigger of the spring shutter, ant
in the fraction of second the pictur'
was on his plate-the tiger in the ac
of striking. And none too soon, To-
before the hand could slip in anothe
slide the buffalo's knees bent beneath
it, and the dead hulk fell. The TRACED.
was complete"
"And the photographer"
HE had some trying moments. In
deed, there were times when 1t looket
as If the tiger preferred the artist t.
the beef; and, had the victim retreate'
to the end of the tether, the beast O
prey would have been as near the on
as the other. But 1t was tame tiger
you know, and so the Photographic
got the sun picture.
Neither alive nor dead was tn
hugh victim seen at the exact momen
of time when it was sinking under tn
weight of its dreadful murderer
Swifter than death itself, the sensitiv
plate seized the reflection of the col
lapsing buffalo before it had time Z
die, and though the end was, humanl
speaking, instantaneous, the one bea
of the heart that interviewed betwee
the awful blow of the tigers paw an
it's victims actual surrender Of ex
istence suficed for the artist to cate
and fix with unerring fidelity the att
tudes of the slayer and the slain"