The Press., 1898-06-16

All of sudden and without realizing
what was doing uttered shout In
turning the captain stumbled over the
tiger and pitched forward, and, with a
sort of yelp, the beast sprang away into
the bushes. Though the officer got
full view Of the creature it was hard for
him to believe that things had occurred
as they had AS the tiger had not been
disturbed by me it was source of won
der why he had not attacked the officer.
Whom the natives came to hear of il,
they asserted with great earnestness
that the soul of some friend Of the cap
tain had passed into the beast and that
the tiger had heard Of his presence and
came to welcome him. This was absurd,
of course, but nevertheless we had to
admit that there was something very
singular about the matter.
Three evenings later we sat at the
door of the mess tent and smoked and
talked after the evening meal. 1t was a
bright moonlight evening, and we could
see almost as we'll as at MONDAY. By
and by Captain Jordan rose up and
started Town to his horse, 200 feet
away, and we were following him with
our eyes, when tiger sprang out of a
hollow where it had been crouching and
seized him and rushed away to the
thiGkets. The thing TRANSFERRED so quick
" that it was Is seconds before one of
us moved. AS we sprang to our feet we
asked each other if we had seen Alright.
The officer uttered no cry and the beast
did not even snarl. The man was seized
by the left hip, given a twist, and most
of his body seemed to be on the tiger
back as the beast galloped away. Before
one of us could seize rifle the beast
and his victim had disappeared into the
brush, which came within 200 feet of
our tents. We set up great shouting
and fired our guns, hoping to brighten
the tiger, and as soon as lanterns could
be lighted we pushed our way into the
jungle, but the case was hopeless from
the start The tiger had crept across a
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 a matter
of fact his presence was not even sus-
pected until the captain s 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 at
the time, and strange as they were no
one ventured to dispute them. Next
morning we assembled 200 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
it could be found, nor was the tiger
seen. When Captain Jordan was seized,
the action was SO sudden that it was
half minute before he realized the sit
uation. The tigers teeth did not grip
the flesh at all, but only the clothing.
The officer arms were free, and had he
had pistol he could have made use of
it. Clasping the tiger with his right
arm, his left hung down, and as soon
as the thicket was reached he grasped
at the bushes to delay progress. III 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 at
the end of it the tiger scrambled up a
very steep hill to a mass of rocks on the
crest. These rocks were surrounded by
a dense jungle, and in forcing way
through it the officers face was badly
cut by the bushes. He had planned tG
/ make fight for his life when the tiger
dropped him, but the beast acted SC
| queerly that he changed his mind.
There was no growing, no sign of an
ger. The tiger let go of him to back off
and sit up on his launches and whine
and whimper and look at him in q
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 q
human face. Not only that, but it was
| the face of native servaI who had
been with him for years, but who was
bitten by a 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 SO the tiger fawned upon him
with every evidence of affection and
carefully licked the blood off his face.
When the officer sat up, the tiger rub
bed it's head against him and purre6
like a cat and seemed highly delighted
to have it's fur stroked. The queer con
duct of the beast was a great puzzle tt
the officer, as you may we'll believe. In.
stead of being eaten alive he was being
toyed with. 1t was full hour before
he dared hope that he was really to 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 the stiffness Of the
night. What daylight would bring ht
did not know. When it came, the tiger
sat up and yaWned and looked about
Then it licked his face and hands, rub
bed his shoulder and finally Slipped
away into the Jungle In his report 0.
the adventure Captain Jordan said the
face of the tiger bore such wonderful
resemblance to that of his old sarvan
that he thought himself dreaming. Thi
resemblance was, of course, only in {
general way. When the tiger left him
he did not know exactly what to do. HI
feared if he attempted to depart tn,
beast would return and attack him, anC
he therefore remained quiet.
In about an hour the tiger reappeared
having evidently eaten and drunk, ant
he lay down beside the captain, anC
both slept until midafternoon. Then tn,
tiger fondled the man again, looked hin
in the face for long time, and finall,
whined and whimpered and went off
Ten minutes after he disappeared TIN
captain rose up and started for camp
which he reached in less than an hour
His appearance struck us dumb for tn
moment. We scoffed at his story, bu
he took the whole party to the spo
where he had been held captive. l
was hard to swallow his statements, b1
am satisfied that he did not exaggerat
in the slightest. Two days after mis- es
| Eo Il E.