The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-12-16
IN A TIGERS CLUTCHES,

"It Is one thing to hunt the tiger,
and quite another thing TO have the
tiger hunt you. When Stripes hunt
ing on his own account, pounces on Il
man, the victim has poor chance tor
his life That there are few men who
can tell of such experience Is needless
to say" said Captain r. A. Arbuthnot.
After the cigars had been lighted, a
guest who had known him twenty
years before in India had pressed him
to tell the story of his tiger adventure
there, and the captain had consented.
THE thing occurred in Dabrah Doolah
district ia Assam where | had gone
with the idea of becoming tea plant
er." continued the captain. THE be-
ginning of the adventure, to tell the
story completely, was my meeting
shikari named Dassa Balhua on the
morning OF the day when / fell in with
the tiger. The word shikari, you will
understand, means native hunter. a
tiger hunter in particular. | was on
my way that day to look over tract
of jungly land which | thought Of buy
ing and clearing for cultivation. when
on passing Dassa Balhua's house saw
him sitting in the doorway, and he was
In peck or trouble.
His old East Indian Company's
army musket, the gun with which he
hunted, was lying across his lap, and
he was fumbling at the lock. He want
ed to go out into the jungle that day,
and here his gun hammer out OF gear,
so that when he pulled 1t back 1t would
not catch and stay at full cock. | saw
at once what was wrong with the lock,
and CHANGING to have with me watch
makers file, l set the thing right n
five minutes. Balhua was very CRATE
tul, and rode on. leaving him careful
ly loading the gun. | don't wish to get
ahead Of my story, but will say here
that my stopping to help Balhua out
OF trouble was the means OF saving
my own life that day.
This meeting with the shikari oc-
Cured about an hour after day-break.
went on my way. and by the middle
of the afternoon | had seen all | cared
to OF the tract of land came to view,
and was ready to return to my bunga-
low. or two servants who accompan-
led me l had left one with my horse
q mile back, where there was some
shade and grass. The other, who was
with me, sent to the man in the rear,
directing that they bring the horse
round by the road to point where l
would meet them. The man started
off on a run, and after watching him
out of sight, took my way along
jungle path toward the point on the
road where / had appointed to meet
them.
THE Jungle growth through which
IzI lnr nj
bamboo grass taller than my head. In
terspersed with the grass were clumps
Of bushes. low-topped korinda trees.
and here and there taller tree. Now
that l was alone. the thought came TO
me that should feel more comfortable
If had kept my rifle by me. for. it
being rather heavy to carry. ! had left
1t with the servant. who had charge OF
the horse. But l was not much dis
turbed by anticipatons of danger as |
strolled along the path, taking my time,
for l expected to have to wait for my
men at the roadside.
The thing came suddenly, without
warning. There was strange moving
of the grass and bushes few feet
away to one side OF the path, the tall
grass parted to left and right in fur
row that came straight toward me,
there was a loud, deep-throated roar
and the tiger had me. | was standing
stock still staring at the moving grass,
for there was no use in running away,
as he came out ON me. There was one
glimpse of paws, jaws, and white
breast all plunging for me, and then
was fiat on my back in the path, with
the tiger crouching upon me, his claws
set in my left shoulder and right side
The long feelers at his nose brushed
my face as he set his teeth into my
shoulder in one sharp. crushing bite.
apparently TO make sure that | would
lie still.
IF the tiger had been alarmed or
wounded, If he had overtaken me run-
ming away, or had | Struggled
should have been killed outright. l
certainly expected nothing else, but the
tiger, not repeating the bite, liftei MS
head as II listening. Some sound IN
the road may have made him fearful
of losing his prey, for seizing me by
ihe shoulder, he swung me clear or the
ground and started away through the
jungle in long, swift leaps. ! weighed
at that time one hundred and thirty
five pounds, and the tiger carried me
along as easily as cat would carry a
squirrel.
1T will probably sound strange to
you, although a similar experience
has been related by others, when
say that from the moment the tiger
n h.,