Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-03-25
A MAN TIGER.
BY CHARLES u. LEWIS.

| we were enCnmped on the banks OF
the Chumbul river, on the east side of
the Chittore hills, India. 1t was gov
eminent party, in charge Of Captain
Jordan, military engineer The object
was to see ii the river could be tapped
and "a canal constructed to run the wa
for irrigation purposes. There were two
English soldiers and party of 30 ma
tives detailed with the captain, and two
English officers and myself were with
the survey AZ volunteers. This meant q
surveying and hunting party combined.
There was plenty of game in the Chit
tore hills. and Captain Jordan was a
veteran hunter ~ we'll AZ Il prominent
engineer.
We had not yet got settled in camp
when the natives appeared to tell us
some queer stories regarding tiger
which had lately made his appearance in
the neighborhood. In the first place, he
was Of astonishing size. No one had
ever seen his like. In the next, AZ they
declared, he had more the face Of hu.
man being than Of a tiger. Again, no
had been encountered, face to face by
several natives, but instead Of attacking
them had oontented himself with look
and then walked off. On one occasion
he had entered village and stealthily
approached an old man who was cook
ing his supper at fire. His presence
was not discovered until he rubbed his
nose against the old man shoulder and
ta1 IA q
cat. Dumb and helpless with terror, the
native waited to be attacked but after
walking around the fire two or three
times the beast went off into the thick
ct. This old man stoutly declared that
the tiger had the face of man and
that 1t seemed to desire speech with
him. The beast had been roaming about
for three weeks when we got there. but
in all that time had not attacked ma
tive nor killed an animal belonging to
the villagers.
The natives Of India are not only SUI
perstitious to the last degree, but given
to the grossest exaggeration in all their
statements, and their declarations in
this case were taken with many grains
of allowance. AS rule they are very
anxious to get rid Of their dangerous
neighbors, but in this case they be-
sought US not to harm the tiger. The
soul Of some good man. native or white,
had taken possession Of the beast, and
for that reason he had spared the viii
layers and should be spared in turn. To
kill him would be sacrilege, and in re-
venge man eater would be sent to do
populate the village.
1t was four days after the natives had
come in before we got sight of the man
tiger Captain Jordan had begun his
preliminary work, and one day when he
was on the bank Of the river, half "a
mile below camp, took my gun to join
him and get "A shot at some wild swans
which had passed down the stream.
Thus far we had hunted only small
game and had heard nothing further
from the tiger. The sun shone brightly
in cloudless sky, and the weather was
hot. and knew enough of tho tiger
habits to be sure that he would be lying
up in some cool spot during the heat Of
the day. | heard the captain shouting
to his assistants long before | got to
him. They had crossed the river on a
raft, and lie was alone. Just before 1
reached him | struck into IA path used
by the wild animals NJ they came down
from the hills to drink. Forty feet away
caught sight Of the officer standing be-
hind his surveying instrument, and ut
tho same instant my eyes fell upon a
tiger creeping along the path between
us. For few seconds / believed the
creature to bo dog. Then AZ 1 fully
realized what IL was and that he was
stalking the unsuspeoting man was 10
unnerved that stood stock still and
gazed at him. l had only shotgun,
loaded with swan shot, but the actions
Of the beast were so singular that for
got was armed at all. While / contin-
ued gazing at him he crept forward to
the captains feet and lay down and
rolled over in play.
All Of sudden and without realizing
what was doing uttered shout. In
turning the captain stumbled over the
tiger and pitched forward, and, with o
sort OF yelp, the beast sprang away into
the bushes Though the officer got q
full view Of the creature II was hard for
him to believe that things had occurred
as they had. AS the tiger had not been
disturbed by mo it was source Of won
der why no had not attacked the officer
When the natives came to hear Of IT,,
they asserted with great eafnestness
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 tho mess tent and smoked and
talked after the evening meal. IL was
bright moonlight evening, and we could
zee almost AZ well AZ ut MONDAY. by
and by Captain Jordan rose up and
started down to his horse, 200 feet
away, and we were following him with
our eyes, when tiger sprang out Of q
hollow where 1t had been orouching and
seized him and rushed away to tn,
thiokets. The thing TRANSFERRED 30 quick
ly that 1t was 10 seconds before one o
Us moved. As we sprang TO our feet VI
asked each other IL we had seen Alright
The officer uttered no cry and the beas
did not even snarl. The man was seize,
by the left hip. given twist. and mos
Of his body seemed 10 be on the tiger
back AZ the beast galloped away. Befor
one Of us could seize rife ths beai
and his victim had disappeared into tn
brush, which came within 300 feet c
our tents We set up great shoutin
and fred our guns, hoping to frighte
the tiger, and AZ soon az lanterns coul
i la hahAad a,laahad l..A..