Evening star., 1898-10-15
MAN-EATERs OF INDIA.
some Thrilling Narratives of Marrow
Escapes From Them.

Escapes From Them.
From the Wide World Magazine
The most strictly accurate and Srephic
accounts of man-eating tigers in India fail
TO convey an adequate sense of tlrc awful
terror which these terrible brutes inspire I'm
the breasts OF the unfortunate villagers.
whom they haunt like evil demons In or
oinary eases the tiger or leopard attacks
the village herds more or less openly aud
The herdSmen. finding that the enemy will,
as rule. retreat on being shouted al with
vigor. are not in bodily fear all the time.
although I have known Instances Of the
herdsnan being killed by a tiger that he
had presumed to interrupt while enjoying
meal from one OF his cattle.
They become more dangerous when they
, nave tasted the blood OF their victim and
are not usually disposed TO give II up with
out fight. | remember the case OF sur
Ney oncer in India. who, being told OF a
XIII near his work. went to inspect Il uu-
armed. The tiger. disturbed at HIS meal.
rushed out suddenly at the party. and in
ms headiorg flight the officer. most fortu-
hateiy Tor himself. tripped and fell in:o
! some long grass and bushes. This .iger's
attention being drawn 10 the natives who
were climbing trees like monkeys I'm a
hurry. he made for them, allowing the ofsi-
Ger 10 crawl away in fear and trembling as
quietly as he could
But in the case Of the man-eater every
thing is different. Having discovered l,fs
power to kill the Eerus homo more easily
than big ape, he takes every possible al
vantage of IL a every turn. Neither nv
night nor by day are they safe. and ne he
comes one long terror. for whether .he ua-
uNes are working In the fields or fetching
hrewood from the forest or water from the
well. they know not al what turn they may
be seized.
| know ore rnan-eater IN Nysorc Tat
was credited with over five hundred VIC
tlns ana the government offered a reward
of 80 rupees for his skin. He was 90 hold
as to think nothing OF bounding into
crowd Of travellers on the high roac in 9ay-
light. ANA Of carrying of either r1 les
trlan or tho driver of a bullock car; from
his seat. He was not content With the
usual tactics Of seizing his prey outside
but used to break INTO huts TO gel at Them
Two English officers, friends of mine who
went after this scourge. were shown p hut
Cutslde a village inclosure. where \ poor
)her low-caste man, not allowed 10
dwell within the village precincts for fear
of polluting them, had lived with his wife
and infant. He was blind. and one night
being awakened by a strange noise. began
TO crawl and gr"pe about the hut. He put
flS hlnd suddenly on the man-eater. which
had pushed the door open, killed the wo-
man and child. and was drinking their
blood when the mans hand was laid upon
him! Doubtless suspecting a trap. he
bounded out If the hut without touching
the man. What a picture for a Iaudseert
But among the multitude Of such stories
l venture To think that TIA, following bears
away the palm for grewsome horror and
its truth has been confirmed from many
sources ! had II from relative. the own
er OF the tea estate in Assam where II oc-
CURED. s B was, not MANY years
ago-a1d for all / know stiIl is-the man
ager of tea garden in Assam where a
man-eater was in the habit of carrying of
the estate coolies for his dinner probably
hnding them much less trouble than deer
or a pig. AT last cmboldened no doubt
by unhndered success in obtaining victims.
he took to carrying off coolies who were
sleeping in the veraHdas Of the managers
bungalow. Many traps had been laid for
him. the bodies of his victims poisoned.
watchers with guns on the lookout over
the killed men, but SO great was lis cum
ming that he had escaped them all Every
thing having failed. things had become des-
perate. and b and some of his planter
friends determined to sit up for IN, tiger
in the veranda. with native blankets dis
gulsinS them-an exceedingly exciting bus
mess for, be it remembered no lighss were
allowed. and the brute cared nothing for
numbers, 50 that his appearance might be
too sudden for unsteady nerves. One OF
the planters, after they had sat long
time in breathleSs suspense. entered thu
house for sometlsing that he wanted. and
while looking for it was startled By a sud
den terrISIe uproar in the veranda which
he had Just left. Selling his rife, he rushed
out to fild all the party gone but from the
dark tea garden he heard the voice OF S
B calling out in agony: Help. for Gods
sake! Help! The tigers got me! Help!
hela,''
Fixing bis bayonet. he ran toward tra
spot. and in the dim gloom made ont the
outline of the tiger dragging B. who
was walking by rs side, his hand in the
brute's moLthi Without a moments hest
tation. he rushed up TO the tiger. plunged
the bayonet inIo its side. and at the same
time pulled the trigger. The tiger fell, re-
leasing B, and both rushed back TO the
house: but before they could reach the
steps the tiger was upon them. and again
seized poor B. biting and clawIng his
back and shoulders in a terrible manner
II was mercifully. an expiring effort for
the brute fell dead before it could kin r..
Ii then transpired that the tiger had stolen
in upon the watchers like 4 shadow with
cut the slightest warning. and had seized
the nearest one. who happened to he b.
hy the hand. which he had raised to defend
himself, ana had commenced to drag him
off. In his agony he rose to his feet and
after descending the steps of the bungalow,
was actually walking off with his hand in
the tigers mouth, to be deYOured. whom
his friend by his courage and presence of
n ind. rescued him from an awful death.
I he other watchers. utterly panic-stricken
had made for the nearest door, and had IL
cuer b would have been added 10 the
long list of the lraE-eatcr's victims. After
being i'll for many months. b recovered
to tell the awful tale of how he had been
led away to be eaten"