The Press., 1898-06-16
the captains feet and lay down and


 rolled over in play.
 All of 8 sudden and without realizing what was doing uttered shout. In turning the captain stumbled over the tiger and pitched forward, and, with a sort of yelp, the beast sprang away into the bushes. Though the officer got a full view of the creature it was hard for him to believe that things had occurred as they had. As the tiger had not been disturbed by me it was a source of won- der why he had not attacked the officer. Whom the natives came to hear of it, they asserted with great earnestness 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 the mess tent and smoked and talked after the evening meal. It was a bright moonlight evening, and we could see almost as well as at monday. By and by Captain Jordan rose up and started town to his horse, 200 feet away, and we were following him with our eyes, when a tiger sprang out of a hollow where it had been crouching and seized him and rushed away to the thickets. The thing transpired so quick ly that it was 15 seconds before one of us moved. As we sprang to our feet we asked each other if we had seen aright. The officer uttered no cry and the beast did not even snarl. The man was seized by the left hip, given twist, and most of his body seemed to be on the tigers back as the beast galloped away. Before one of us could seize rife the beast and his victim had disappeared into the brush, which came within 200 feet of our tents. We set up great shouting and fired our guns, hoping to frighten the tiger, and as soon as lanterns could be lighted we pushed our way into the jungle, but the case was hopeless from the start. The tiger had crept across a clear piece of ground for a distance or 100 feet to reach the hollow. The moon- light was so strong that some of us ought to have seen him, but as a 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 | the action was so sudden that it was | half a minute before he realized the sit | uation. The tigers teeth did not grip the flesh at all, but only the clothing. The officers arms were free, and had he had a 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 nc | hope of escape He was carried dis tance of two miles and half, and at the end of it the tiger scrambled up a very steep hill to mass of rocks on the crest. These rocks were surrounded by 8 dense jungle, and in forcing a way through it the officers face was badly cut by the bushes. He had planned te make a fight for his life when the tiger dropped him, but the beast acted SC queerly that he changed his mind. There was no growling. no sign of an. ger. The tiger let go of him to back of and sit up on his launches and whine and whimper and look at him in 6 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 z human face. Not only that, but it was the face of native servaIt who haC been with him for years, but who was bitten by a cobra several years before and lost his life in saving that of hi! 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 ant carefully licked the blood off his face When the officer sat up, the tiger rub bed its head against him and purreC | 11k0 u CdG dIu S601u6u u1Ru1J uG1lRHU01 to have its fur stroked. The queer con duct of the beast was great puzzle tt the officer, as you may we'll believe. In stead of being eaten alive he was beine toyed with It was full honr befor, he dared hope that he was really to b, spared. During the night he sat witt his back to a rock, the tiger lying be side him, and every sound from caml came up to him on the stiffness of tn night. What daylight would bring h. did not know. When it came, the tige 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 O the adventure Captain Jordan said tn face of the tiger bore such wonderful resemblance to that of his old sarvan that he thought himself dreaming. Thi resemblance was, of course, only in general way. When the tiger left him he did not know exactly what to do. H feared if he attempted to depart tn beast would return and attack him, an he therefore remained quiet.
 In about an hour the tiger reappeared having evidently eaten and drunk, an he lay down beside the captain, an both slept until midafternoon. Then tn tiger fondled the man again, looked hin in the face for long time, and finall whined and whimpered and went of Ten minutes after he disappeared tn captain rose up and started for camp which he reached in less than an hour His appearance struck us dumb for tn moment. We scoffed at his story, bu he took the whole party to the spc where he had been held captive. was hard to swallow his statements, b1 am satisfied that he did not exaggerat in the slightest. Two days after his es cape the tiger was found dead not ia from camp, and then all of us had l lnnk at his fana ItS raSarn hlanco +c 4lr