The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-01
TOOK CHARGE OF THE SHIP.
Royal Bengal Tiger Kept Every One
ON Board at Bay.
u Companion.

Youths Companion.
An English nobleman was the owner. Of a
superb royal Bengal tiger, of size and ap-
pearance really majestic. Not caring to keep
the creature longer, he sold him for a large
price to the famous geological garden at
Antwerp. Some time afterWard the director
OF the Zoo" received a frantic message
from the captain of a ship which had just
come into the harbor, saying that he had on
board a tiger consigned to the director, but
that the animal had several days before es-
capped from his cage and was at large on
the deck. The captain had succeeded in get
ting a sort of barricade erected across the
deck, so that the sailors could go aloft and
do other necessary work. But the whole
snip company was under the terror OF the
animal.
The director went with all haste to the
water side. and saw in the distance the ship,
which vas indeed, bringing to him the The
tiger was in charge Of the ship rather than
the reverse. He could be seen pacing the
deck in a superb and lordly way that indi-
Gated the consciousness of possession. Not
a man was to be seen on board.
The director had the ship brought up to
the wharf. The tide was low and the deck
that there seemed to be no danger of the
tigers escaping to land. The director got
into communication with the captain
him that men had been regularly sent
aloft to let down meat to the tiger by q
rope so that the beast was actually gorged
with food. Nothing but overlooking had
kept the tiger from falling on some horses
which were stabbed on the deck, but the
poor horses were in a place where no one
dared to go to them, and had neither food
nor water for several days.
The director and his assistants rugged a
sort of cage or box with a drop door held
up by a string which they lowered to the
deck of the ship, having first furnished 1t
with tempting bits of fresh meat. But the
tiger, after shifting at these from the out
side Of the trap, walked contemptuously
away. He did not want anything to eat.
Meantime the director said to the captain:
why didn't you shoot the tiger rather than
endanger the lives of your mel?"
The captain laughed. I'VE should have
been glad enough to shot him, he said, but
we have no firearms on board"
The director was determined now to get
the tiger off alive If he could. He drew up
the trap and baited it with other sorts Of
provisions, but the tiger refused to go near
them. A long time was spent in Intellectual
attempts to coax the tiger into the trap.
Meantime the tide rose, bringing the deck
of the vessel almost up to the level of the
wharf. The crowd took to flight In a few
The prospect of having a royal Bengal tiger
loose in the streets of Antwerp caused the
police to warn the director that the animal
mus: very soon be shot.
The director was at his wits end, but a
small street boy helped him out of the
This boy. who had not taken to flight with
the rest, said:.
The tiger isn't hungry, but perhaps he
might be thirsty"
TIL suggestion was acted on instantly. A
tub of water was placed in the cage and
who had had no water for some time, see
the tub than he rushed into the trap and
began drinking eagerly. Then the door was
dropped and he was a prisoner.