The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-03-17
HUNTING SAVAGE GAME
Shooting Tigers In India Is Ex-
citing Sport.
ENCOUNTER WITH A BUFFALO.

Indian Panthcrs Arc Ugly Customers, and
Their Pelts Are Not Lightly Gained.
Colonel Wards Adventures In the jun
Ele-An Interesting Dispute With n Tiger.
Rclating some anecdotes of experiences
while shooting in India Colonel H. Ward
says in the Badminton Magazine:
found the COMPLEMENTARY fresh
of large tiger which had evidently been
only just disturbed, probably by us. Fol-
lowing very cautiously, l presently SAW
the tiger, about 30 yards in front of me.
walking slowly along among the hamboos
He neither saw nor heard me and seemed
to suspect nothing. l followed silently
until saw him dip into another small
ravrc Then 1 ran back and sent the men
round to drive him toward me- There was
no large tree available; so l lay down on
flat rock, with II sloping bank to my left,
and on i:iy right Il clear space about eight
yards wide to the side of the hill, which
rose In IL perfectly straight scarp. ! hoped
The tiger would come TO the left below me
He did not, and l watched him from 90
yards OF walk calmly toward me on my
right
He would have passed within six feet OF
me had left him alone. But every mo-
mont Thought he would hear the Ecating
OF my heart So, when eight or ten wards
oil, fired, and as the smoke cleared SAW
the hrutcs Jaws apparently close to tie
muzzlc of my rifle To pull the trigger,
drop the rifle, turn heels over head down
the bank and spring up the nearest small
tree WAS the work of Il few seconds, and
there | chung on recovering my breath
and wondering whether was alive, until
Bhil from above shouted that the tiger
was dead. He was half on the rock. where
| had been, shot through the heart and
the hair on his face burned with the flash
"f the second barrel. He was Il magnificent
old male, ono of the largest have killed
met charging panther late ono even
ing when returning to camp. Walking
through low scrub jungle, l suddenly real
lzcd that in the fork of Il tree about ten
feet from the ground II panther was
crouchcd looking ut me. As his eve
caught mine he BOUNDED down before
could raise the rifle, and only got n snan
shot as he went of, hitting him, but it was
too dark 10 see to follow. In the fork of
the tree were the remains Of II young
nylglau, which evidently the PANTHER had
Killed carly in the day, eaten what no
could ard then dragged the rest up tho
q
and jackals.
The next morning took up the blood
TRAIL and about 30 yards OF found the
panther under bush not big enough To
h!dc II hare. yet neither nor my men had
seen nm until VIC were I'LL but on him.
One step more, and he must have sprung
ON one of us, when my lucky shot caught
HIM between the eyes.
Panthcrs arc nasty, uncertain brutcs and
can hide i'll any cover. AS II rule they will
attack you; but, while have seen some
charge homo without provocation, hove
seen an occasional one run like beaten
| dog. Nothing would mako him fight
| Twice have seen them, when wounded
charge almost within srringing distance
| and then stop. One of these two sat down
on his launches within five yards of me
and roarcd whilo l reloaded. He had been
seen III Il cave at the top Of n small hill
ana the men said he could he shot rs he
lay. Colonel G. watched the entrance of
the cave while l climbed the hill and
then saw the panther trough II cleft shelly.
ing i'll the center, so that ! could not fire
without hitting the rock. We tried tn
tempt the beast out by shaking II turlan
III front of the mouth of the cave. All hc
would do was TO put ont one fore leg.
sent IL bullet through this, hoping 10 stop
him with the second barrel as he went on
but the pace was too good, and ! missed
him; so did Colonel c. from below. | WAS
not quito sure which was the most danger
Gus. for the coloncl's bullets whiZZcd about
pretty freely among the rocks, but after
cmpiyinS my two rifles the panther sud
denly appeared on the top of the rock 20
yards OFF, and came straight for me
hurried up my rcloadinE. Fortunately no
one moved and when some four or five
yards distant the panther sat down and