The Somerset reporter., 1898-03-10

tuo bthIt luo Tiger uau Cropt hCrOsb u
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 q matter
Of fact his presence was not even sus.
pected until the captains 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,t
the action was SO sudden that it was
half minute before be realized the sit
nation 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. In 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 a half, and at
the end Of 1t the tiger scrambled up
very steep hill to mass of rocks on the
crest. These rocks were surrounded by
dense jungle, and i'll forcing a way
through it the officers face was badly
cut by the bushes He had planned to
make fight for his life when the tiger
dropped him, but the beast acted so
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
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 a
human face. Not only that, but it was
the face of native servant who had
been with him for years, but who was
bitten by 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 its head against him and purred
like "a cat and seemed highly delighted
to have its fur stroked. The queer con-
duct of the beast was great puzzle to
the officer, as you may we'll believe. In
stead of being eaten alive he was being
toyed with. 1t was full honr before
he dared hope that he was really to be
spared. During the night he sat with
his back to a 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 he
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 Of
the adventure Captain Jordan said the
face of the tiger bore such a wonderful
resemblance to that of his old servant
that he thought himself dreaming. This
resemblance was, of course only in
general way. When the tiger left HIM,
he did not know exactly what to do. He
feared if he attempted to depart the
beast would return and attack him, and
he therefore remained quiet.
In about an hour the tiger reappeared,
having evidently eaten and drank and
be lay down beside the captain, and
both slept until midafternoon. Then the
tiger fondled the man again, looked him
in the face for long time, and finally
whined and whimpered and went off
Ten minutes after be disappeared the
captain rose up and started for camp
which he reached in less than an hour
His appearance struck us dumb for the
moment. We scoffed at his story, but
he took the whole party to the spot
where he had been held captive. 1t
was hard to swallow his statements, but
l am satisfied that he did not exaggerate
i'll the slightest. Two days after his es
cape the tiger was found dead not far
from camp and then all of us had "A
look at his face. Its resemblance to that
of IA native was indeed wonderful. Pho
tographs were taken and the papers
printed woodcuts, and when the face
was put III "a group with four or five ma
tives no one could detect it as that of "a
tiger. 1t was ii queer thing, taken all
hround, but | have given you the de-
tails just as got them, and you must
figure things out for yourself
On the Verge of Ruin,