Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-03-25

jungle, but the case was hopeless from
the start. The tiger had crept across
clear piece of ground for distance of
100 feet to reach the hollow. The moon
light was so strong that some of us
ought to have seen him, but as matter
OF fact his presence was not even sus-
pected until the captain horse scented
him and began to cut up.
What happened to the captain we
heard from his own lips next afternoon.
The facts in the case were published in
many Indian and English journals ut
the time, and strange az they were no
one ventured to dispute them. Next
morning we assembled 400 natives and
beat up the country for miles around,
hoping to at least find the half devoured
body and give it burial. Not trace of
II could be found, nor was the tiger
seen. When Captain Jordan was seized,
the action was so sudden that ii was
half minute before no realized the sit
uation. The tigers teeth did not grip
the flesh at all, but only the clothing.
The officers arms were free. and had he
had pistol he could have made use Of
1t. Clasping the tiger with his right
arm, his left hung down, and AZ soon
M the thicket was reached no grasped
at the bushes to delay progress. In this
way he checked the pace considerably
until an open path leading up into the
hills was reached. He heard our shouts
and the report of firearms, but had no
hope Of escape. He was carried dis.
lance of two miles and half, and ut
the end Of II the tiger scrambled up
very steep hill to "a mass Of rocks on the
crest, These rocks were surrounded by
q dense Jungle, and In forcing way
through II the officers face was badly
out by the bushes. He had planned TO
make fight for his life when the tiger
dropped him. but the beast acted 70
queerly that he changed his mind.
There was no growing, no sign of an.
ger The tiger let 20 of him to back of
and sit up on his launches and whine
and whimper and look at him in
queer way, just at that spot the moon
light filtered down until the officer could
see pretty plainly, and he was amazed
to discover that the tiger had almost
human face. Not only that. but IL was
the face OF II native servant who had
been with him for years, but who was
bitten by n cobra several years before
and lost his life in saving that of his
master.
So impressed was Captain Jordan
with this wonderful resemblance that
he called the name of his servant aloud.
As he did no the tiger fawned upon him
with every evidence of affection and
carefully licked tho blood off his face.
When the officer sat up, the tiger rub
bed its head against him and purred
like cat and seemed highly delighted
to have ita fur stroked. The queer con
duct Of the beast was great puzzle TO
the officer, as you MAXWELL belieys. In
stead of being eaten alive he was being
toyed with, II was full honr before
he dared hope that he was really 10 be
spared. During the night he sat with
his back to rock, the tiger lying be.
side him, and every sound from camp
came up TO him on tho stiffness of the
night. What daylight would bring he
did not know. When 1t came. tho tiger,
u
Then 1t licked his face and hands, rub
bed his shoulder and finally slipped
away into the jungle. In his report N
the adventure Captain Jordan said tho
face of the tiger bore such wonderful
resemblance to that of his old servant
that he thought himself dreaming. This
resemblance was, Of course only In q
general way. When the tiger left him,
he did not know exactly what to do. He
feared If no attempted to depart the
beast would return and attack him, and
he therefore remained quiet.
In about an hour the tiger reappeared,
having evidently eaten and drunk, and
he lay down beside the captain, and
both slept until midafternoon. Then the
tiger fondled the man again, looked him
IN the face for long time, and finally
whined and whimpered and went Off
Ten minutes after he disappeared thb
captain rose up and started for camp,
which he reached in less than an hour.
His appearance struck us dumb for the
moment. We scoffed at his story, bat
he took tho whole party to the spot
where he had been held captive. 1t
was hard to swallow his statements, but
| am satisfied that he did not exaggerate
In the slightest. Two days after his e.
cape the tiger was found dead not far
from camp, and then all Of us had q
look at his face. Its resemblance to that
OF native was indeed wonderful. Pho
tographs were taken. and the papers
printed wCodcuts. and when the face
was put in u group with four or Ave ma
tives no one could detect 1t AZ that Of
tiger. Ii was queer thing. taken all
around, but l have given you the de-
tails just IN got them. and you must
figure things out for yourself.