The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-07-23
A FIERCE BATTLE.
ciOus TIGER and n Huge
Alligator.

Tie f~erociiy Of the tiger, the agility
Of man and the perseverance, OF the ALI
gator are the elements in a most inter
estiHg tragedy Of the Ganges just re-
ported. Taken as a whole, the event is
one Of the most striking illustrations
nature has offered Of the fact that, like
man, Tie tiger sometimes o%yerreaches
itself.
The primal cause OF all was the de-
termination Of o native Of an Indian vii
lage 70 take a bath. Had he bathed
quietly what IS about 10 be told might
never have happened, but he chose to
make a great ado about il, and the fol-
lowing was the result:
The bather wodrd In toward the CEN
Ter OK tac river, Until The water reached
bis neck, aud then he began TO disport
himself, making as much noise as a por-
poise. IL 30 happened that in thejungle
adjoining, a tiger bad esconced itself,
taking It's position upon a spot so ele-
waited thatitwns able 10 see through the
open spacas 20 the thick growth and
view 'ac bathgr at play. Having seen
bin, the tiger eyideptly made up its
mind that here was The meal for which
IL had been looking. and so. as another
native who saw 1t all tells the story, 1t
began to stalk its prey by stealthy
creeps.
The proper distance being gained, the
tiger gave a leap toward the man, but.
aLas, il was no Mathematician, and
failed TO recognize the fact that since
the relative altitude Of itself and the
hathcr differed SO greatly. u leap Of the
right strength for a horizontal range
would carry il beyond its mark. 1t
splashed into the water eight or ten feet
beyond the man who was emulating
the porpoise.
Now IL happened that in the mean
time an alligator had also seen the vii
lager and, like the tiger, thinking he
might make a .3vory morsel. made his
way beneath The water toward the I'M
conscious victim, who, though ignorant
OF the peril, was thus between Two fires,
henaced by The tiger on one side and
the alligator on lie other. just as Tie
alligator thought be had reached abou.
the proper distance to iange for his
prey, tAere was a Tremendous splash
just 10 front Of him, and, probably
thinking :. was the bother, the reptile
closed its huge Jaw not on the villager.
but on the paw Of the tiger.
Naturally, the bather did not under.
htaad the cause " Che ensuing coinmo-
ton. His back being toward the point
from which tie tiger jumped, the frst
knowledge Of it's presence was gained
When the brute splashcdin into the water.
lie could not understand for a fen mo
mems why il was the tiger did not turn
round and derour him.
twas ineZplicable that the animal in.
sisted On keeping one Of its paws far
under Water, while II beat the surface
Of Tie river Faugcly with the others.
utiering growls of apparent agony
suddenly he water Of the river began
to ;uru red. Then, an at once, as tb,
frantic assaults OF the tiger becam,
more furious and its growls developed
Into roars, the huge tail OF an alligator
reared up out Of the water just in front
Of the tiger.
This revealed to the Nuager what hal
happened, and he lost no time In feeino
up the adjoining Gill and climbing tn,
nearest tree. Weak and faint though
he was, he managed TO retain his sense,
and view TIE conclusion Of this strang,
combat.
The struggle continued with nc
abatement 10 derccnegs for soine nc.
merts. The tiger sliriehed IN it, agon,
ard bit az the water and its unseen an.
iagouist. Clearly It was the alligator,
intention to pull the tiger down uBdei
the water, dpown II and thus serur,
a f~T more luxurious and abundan.
meal than ide batber could possibl,
have afforded.
The action Of ule tiger indicated be
You'd peradyeuture that the alligator,
Intentions were thoroughly understood
and no prisoner could strain 10 breal
his bonds more hanticaly than did IN,
tiger 70 loosen the hold Of those law,
oiiron upon rs paw. IN every comedy
able way The animal tried to get at "a,
tnout that was slowly pulling IL dowt
10 death, bl, without avail, for fLe AM
gator never allowed Sc head 10 ris,
above 1c surface Of the stream or
which The blows Of the frenzled tjgel
spent thcir force.
Sol went on, momentafter moment
until at last 81 dawncd upon IN, tirci
that hope had vanished and death wa
certain. The struggle grew weaker an(
weaker. lower and lower the tiger.
head sank, until wilh ono final roar o.
wre mud agony 70 vanished and Ia,
Gauges rolled on in perfect p~lacldncss
the only thing visible on . asnrface be.
Ing q few large bubbles that married
The expiring breath OF the alligator
victim lailadelphia Record.
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