The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-12
PhotOgraphing a Bengal Tiger.

From the st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
speaking of realistic pictures of AMI
mails" said a dealer in wild beasts, II
recall seeing in India about two years ago
tiger photographed under very exciting
circumstances. a party of natives were
going about in Ragpootana with a full
grown Bengal tiger which they had tam
ed, as they called it. What they really
did, however, was to keeNit 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 led 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 pho
tographer happened to be passing through.
and he, hearing Of the strange company,
sent for them. Now about the only per-
tormance that the tiger Ga particularly
savage beasD had in his repertoire was
killing animals, and 1t occurred to the ar.
list that an instantaneous photograph Of
the great brute in the very act of strik-
ing down Its victim would make an inter-
esting picture. So arrangements were
made. A full-grown buffalo was procured
and taken out to the edge of the jungle,
where 1t was tethered with twenty-five
feet of rope to a stake.
THE photographer took up his station
on foot outside 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, glaring eyes
on the doomed creature. Its lips curled
back in hideous snarl, and 1t began to
move stealthily toward the buffalo. The
ropes were then one by one slipped off
and there, twenty yards apart, stood the
two beasts. But the buffalo gave no sign
of fright or even consciousness of any
danger.
1T simply stood staring in a HELPLESS
sort of fascination at the advancing brute.
At first the tiger had crouched, but now it
stood erect, and, with restless tall and
teeth all flashing out of the red gums
stepped slowly forward across the inter-
vening space. Foot by foot the interval
between the buffalo and death-cruel, re-
lentless, inevitable-Was diminished. Yet
the great horned beast never stirred. It's
eyes We're fixed on the tigers. Its breath
came quick and hot from its nostrils
Once and again, and once more, the beast
of prey paced on and then stopped. 1t was
within striking distance. nN7
The buffalo's sides were now heaving
rapidly and its terror was audible in It's
painting. And then, quick as a flash of
lightning, the great striped body was
launched through the air. There was a
dull sound as 1t struck the buffalo, and
as II smitten by thunderbolt. the huge
animal, its neck broken by the blow of the
tigers forearm, fell. At this moment, this
indefnable point of time, the artist touch
ed the trigger of the spring shutter, and
in the fraction of a second the picture
was on his plate-the tiger in the act of
striking. And none too soon, for before
the hand could slip in another slide the
buffnlo's knees bent beneath it, and the
dead hulk fell. The tragedy was COM
plete."
And the photographer.
He had some trying moments. Indeed,
there were times when 1t looked as if the
tiger preferred the artist to the beef; and
had the victim retreated to the end OF its
tether, the beast of prey would have been
as near the one a the other. But it was
tame tiger, you know, and so the photo
grapher got the sun picture.
Neither alive nor dead was the huge
victim seen at the exact moment of time
when it was sinking under the weight Of
its dreadful murderer. Swifter than even
death itself the sensitive plate seized the
reflection of the collapsing buffalo before
il had time to die, and though the end
wns humanely speaking, instantaneous,
the one beat of the heart that interviewed
between the awful blow of the tigers paw
and its victims actual surrender of exist
enoe suffced for the artist 70 catch and
fix with unerrlng fidelity the attitudes of
the slayer and the slain"