The Opelousas courier., 1897-04-17
TIGERS SWIM WELL.
when , Floods Come They Lose
Their Instinct to Slaughter.
"A Man-Eater Shares a Raft With
an East Indian Family.

In times of high food in the East
Indian rivers, when the low country
bordering them is inundated, often
with much loss of brute and human
LIE, the tiger seems to share in
the fear that pervades the Jungle
oeasfs' and to lose temporarily his fe-
foc'ous instinct of slaughter. Gath.
cred upon eminences that rise like
Islands above the spreading waters
may be seen the wolf, the leopard, and
the tiger, standing peacefully in CON-
pany with the deer and cattle, and
the smaller animals that are their
natural prey, all the ordinary
instincts Of the beasts being
held in allegiance by the com
mon terror all feel at the inva-
sion OF their haunts by the flood.
From his facility in swimming and
his ability to crowd his way among
other refugees to a place of safety, the
tiger is apt to fare better than most
animals, not distinctly aquatic at
such times. Then when better can
moi be found he will seek any avail
able place of refuge, as an uprooted
tree. the top of a wall, or the roof of
a house that has withstood the rush
OF the waters. Not unfrequently he
has tried to install himself IN the
raft or boat with which some of the
natives were trying to get to the dry
land.
Such an instance occurred in the
Ganges Valley, near u village called
Charpoot. A native carpenter resid-
ing in the suburb was awakened in the
early morning by the water pouring
into the house over the doorsill, and
looking out he saw that what had been
the night before a fertile, open plain
was q lake of muddy water. He
had no materials at hand, and his
carpenters skill served him in good
stead in quickly making a raft on
which he embarked with his family
and their scanty outfit Of household
utensils. As with a long bamboo he
padded or poled his slow way along
in the endeavor to reach the safe
haven of the hills beyond the val
ley, he spied the head of a hugo tiger
that was swimming in the same direc-
ton. The tiger seemed wearied, as ii
he had swan a long way, and present
ly, to the CONSERVATION of the carpen-
ter, he turned and headed for the
raft. The craft had all the passengers
| on board that it could we'll accommo-
date, but as the tiger swan faster than
the man could paddle there was moth
ing to do but let things take their
course. On reaching the raft the
tiger put his fore paws on the edge,
sinking it to the waters surface, and
sprang on board, crowding the wife
and children from their places and
nearly knocking some of them over.
board.
The tiger seemed thoroughly cowed
and exhausted, aud lay down quietly
where he first struck, crowded amid
the people on the raft. Here be re-
NAMED without moving while the car
penter slowly worked the raft along
toward the hills, the trip occupying
several hours. When within two OIL
three hundred yards of the shore the
tiger lifted his head and began tc
show signs of restlessness, then rose
to his feet but all this time he paid
no attention to any of the people OF
the raft. Presently he bounded for
ward into the water with a might!
leap. the recoil of which nearly parted
The raft in the middle, swan swiftly
to the shore and disappeared in the
forest.
When afterward the carpenter re-
lated his experience, aad described
the tiger, the brute was identified 01
certain scars on the head and body a
q notorious %man-eating and cattle
killing tiger that for years had ravagee
a district fifty miles above Charpoot'
After the food had subsidized n weel
later he made his presence known II
his old haunts.