Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-07-02

ly INA IL WAS 10 SGCOlluS D6lOT0 II OF
us moved. As we sprang to our feet we
asked each other if we had seen Alright.
The officer uttered nc cry and the beast
did not even snarl. The man was seized
by the left hip, given a twist, and most
of his body seemed to be on the tigers
back as the beast galloped away. Before
one of us could seize a rife the beast
and his victim had disappeared into the
brush, which came within 200 feet of
our tents. We set up a great shouting
and fired cur 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 of
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 a trace CT
1t 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 officer arms were free, and had he
had a pistol he could have made use Of
1t. 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 a dis
lance of two miles and a half, and at
the end of it the tiger scrambled up a
very steep hill to a mass of rocks on the
crest. These rocks were surrounded by
a dense jungle, and in forcing a way
through it the officers face was badly
cut by the bushes. He had planned to
make a fight for his life when the tiger
dropped him, but the beast acted SO
| Nt,oor(y that ha 1I,a,,uoI 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 III a
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 ii native servant who had
been with him for years, but who was
bitten by a 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 it's head against him and purred
like a cat and seemed highly delighted
to have it's fur stroked. The queer con-
duct of the beast was a great puzzle to
the officer, as you may we'll believe. In
stead Of being eaten alive he was being
toyed with. 1t was a 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 a
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 drunk, and
he lay down beside the captain, and
both slept until midafternoon. Then the
tiger fondled the man again, looked him
in the face for a long time, and finally
whined and whimpered and went off.
Ten minutes after he 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
I am satisfied that he did not exaggerate
in the slightest. Two days after his es-
cape the tiger was found dead not far
from camp, and then all Of us had q
look at his face. Its resemblance to that
of y native was indeed wonderful. Pho.
tographs were taken, and the papers
printed woodcuts, and when the face
was put in a group with four or five ma
tives no one could detect it as that Of q
tiger. 1t was u queer thing, taken all
around, but I have given you the de-
tails just as / got them, and you must
figure things out for yourself.
On the Verge Of Ruin.