The Irish standard., 1898-05-14
TOOK CHARGE OF THE SHIP.
Royal Bengal Tiger kcpI Every One
on Board at ilny.

An English noblcman was The owner of a
subcrb royal Bengal tiger, of size and nI-
pearance really majestic. Not caring to
Keep the creature longer. he sold him for Il
large price to the famous Geological Garden
at antwerp. Some time nftcrwnrd the d.
rector of the 700 received a frantic mns-
sage from the captain OF 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 escaped from his cage and was
at large on the deck The captain had sue
ceedcd in getting sort of harricadc erected
across the deck. so that the sailors could
go aloft and do other necessary work. But
terror of the animal.
inc director went with AL haste to the
water side. and saw in the distance the ship.
which was, indeed. bringing to him the
splendid tiger of the British lord. But 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 III
Dictated the consciousness of possessinn
Not a man was to be sccn on board
The director mad the ship brought up to
me wharf. III" tide was low and the deck
was so far below the level of the wharf
that there seemed TO be no danger of the
tigers escaping to land. Tho director got
into communication with the captain
through portfolio. ana WAS informed by
him that men had been regularly sent aloft
to let down meat TO hic tiger by a rope
so that the beast was actually gorgcd
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 Il place where no one
dared to go to them. and had neither food
nor water for several days,
The director and his assistants rugged n
sort of cage or box with drop held up by
string which they lowered to the deck OF
the ship. having first furpshcd it with
tempting bits of fresh ihcai. But the tiger.
after shifting at these from the outside of
the trap. walked contcppuously away. lie
did not want anything TO eat.
Meantime the director said to the captain: :
why didn't you shoot the tiger rather
than endanScr the lives Of your menu"
The captain laughcdn we should have
been glad enough to shoot him." he said,
but &c have no firearms on board"
Tho director was determined now to get
the tiger off alive IL he could. He drew uu
the trap and baitcd 1t with other sorts Of
provisions, but the tiger refused to go near
then. 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 flight. In a few
minutes the beast could easily leap ashore.
The prospect of having a royal Bengal
tiger loose in the streets Of Antwerp caus-
ed the police to warn the director that the
animal must very soon be shot.
The director was at his wits end, but a
| small street boy helped him out Of the
emergency by very simple suggestion.
This boy. who had not taken to flight with
the rest, satd
1.-THE tiger isn't hungry, but perhaps he
might be thirsty"
The suggestion was acted on instantly. A
tub of water was placed in the cage and