The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-23
TOOK CHARGE OF THE SHIP.


\ Royal Bengal Tiger Kept Everyone
on Board ut Bay.
An English nobleman was the own
IF Of a superb royal Bengal tiger, of
lie and appearance really majestic.
Sot caring to keep the creature long.
II, he sold him for large price to the
amous geological gardens at Ant
Eerp. Some time afterward the di.
ector of the 200" received a frantic
message from the captain of ship
which had just come into the harbor.
/ laying that he had on board a tiger
consigned to the director, but that the
animal had several days before es-
:aped from his cage and was at large
On the deck. The captain had sue
.eeded In getting a sort Of barricade
erected across the deck. SO that the
sailors could 60 aloft and do other
necessary work. But the whole ships
company was under the terror of the
animal.
The director went with all haste to
the water side, and saw In the dis
lance 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 re-
Verse He could be seen pacing the
deck in superb and lordly way that
Indicated the consciousness of posses.
sion. Not q man was to be seen on
board.
The director had the ship brought
up to the wharf. The tide was low
and the deck was so far below the
level Of the wharf that there seemed
to be no danger of the tiger escaping
to land. The director got into com.
with the captain through
! port hole, and was Informed by him
that men had been regularly sent aloft
to let down meat to the tiger by q
'ope so that the beast was actually
Forged with food. Nothing but over.
'eedlng had kept the tiger from fall.
ng on some horses which were stabbed
N the deck, but the poor horses were
q place where no one dared to 60
o lnem, and had neither food nor
vater for several days.
The director and his assistants rig
led sort Of cage or box with q drop
oor held up by a string, which they
owered to the deck of the ship, hav-
ng first furnished 1t with tempting
Its of fresh meat. But the tiger,
fter shifting at these from the out.
lde Of the trap, walked contempt.
ously away. He did not want any.
hing to eat.
Meantime the director said to the
aptain: "Why didn't you shoot the
ger rather than endanger the lives of
our menT'
The captain laughed. ave should
ave been glad enough to shoot him."
e said, "but we have no firearms on
oard."
The director was determined now to
1t the tiger of alive IL he could. He
rev up the trap and baited it with
her sorts Of provisions, but the tiger
fused to 60 near them. A long time
as spent In Intellectual attempts to
AK the tiger into the trap Mean.
ne the tide rose, bringing the deck
the vessel almost up to the level Of
e wharf. The crowd took to flight.
/ few minutes the beast could
silly leap ashore. The prospect Of
wing royal Bengal tiger loose in
e streets Of Antwerp caused the
,lice to warn the director that the
limal must very soon be shot.
The director was at his wits end,
It small street boy helped him out
the emergency by very simple
question. This boy, who had not .
ken flight with the rest, said:
"rhe tiger isn't hungry. but per.
ps he might be thirsty"
The suggestion was acted on in.
unity. A tub of water was placed
the cage and lowered to the deck.
sooner did the tiger, who had had
water for some time see the tub
IN he rushed into the trap and be.
n drinking eagerly. Then the door :
IS dropped and he was prisoner. r