Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-08-05
A DOSE OF KNOCKOUT
CT HERE was queer tiger kill in the
Ghurbssa district some weeks ago"

India. in 4 letter received ~ 4 friend In New
York last week. The brute was fne cue.
ten feet long. with perfect skin, and there
seemed every reason 10 think that be would
sive any number Of hunters an ugly tusse.
But he fell. like ripe apple into basket. to
the single gun Of the hunter who blundered
upon hin in the Jungle Il wss a very odd
chain os circumstances that brought the re
suit Of dead tiger. instead Of the mauled
hunter who might reasonably have been sx-
pectcd 20 issue nom such an encounter.
The thing came about in chis way: A CIV
iliaR named Martin. from Calcutta VAS
f, watching an poppy field for bear that was
in the habit Of coming there by night Ghur
besa is al the westerly edge OK the opium dis
( trict, and the bears there in the r1pcning
season Of the peoples have a trick Of eating
the seeds in the pods. On this night, wuich
was dark. Martin heard the bear among the
/ Peoples. bat could not get shot at him.
After much waiting, in trying TO get nearer
the hcsr. he alarmed HIM. and the beast
made of In the darkness into the jungle.
The hunter was tempted TO send random
shot after hun. but Vefrained, luckily a. 4
I proved The sounds OF the animals moving
through the underground had scarcely died
away when there came 20 the hunters cars
the loud scream which tbs Indian bear gives
when in great pain or peril. and with /, the
sound cf q tigers grunting roar. For few
minutes there were heard the voices OF TIC
two beasts in conflict, and when these sounds
ended the hunter. not caring TO investigate
/ further Cd the time, fOr the ticer was evident
! ly the victor, returned 70 the Seiikceper's
but. where he was staying during the hunt.
Martin told the ieldkeeper Of the s,rug-
sc gong on IN the bushes. and together
/ they talked q tigers and bears in genera
and that tiger and bear in particular for
some time. Martin had but little ideN then
the; he would ever see the tiger that ha5
! made way with the bear that had escsped
him. but he determined 20 20 out the next
morning and view the scene Of the conflict
That the tiger should have sttacke6 e
/ bear even without proyocation was not g. be
/ wondered al. Tor there Is always IN vii be-
| tween these animals. and whenever they
meet. unless the bear sees the tiger in t,ule
@ take TO q tree, fight 20 the death Is 10
Pc assumed. The tiger Is usually the winner.
and for The most nart II content with killing
the bear and .eavink his remains 20 the ans
and Jacka.s. but Il hungry he sometimes
makes hls dinner OF ham. Going out next
( morning % the scene a the battle Of the
night be.ore-the bears trail led plainly 20
it-Martin found about an eighth oi a mile
beyond the fed. In the jungle. the boas :
body partly devourcd 10y the tiger. The cor
dition 90 the ground about showed that there
had been a lively fight while it lasted. ari
the tigers tracks marked the direction be
had taken after his dinner. The condition
b q the carcass and the tracks showed that
, the tiger had left the bear AZ least six hours
before. and Martin had no idea that the an
ma could be anywhere IN the vicinity. lie
cent one q the three natives with hmm hack
% tank fo- water. and, waiting his return.
smoked his pipe 20 the wlndward Of the hear.
taking 10 precautions whatever as 10 watch
ing or keeping silence.
: When the native came back With the
-ater-chatty the hunter drank from Il and
then started % follow the tigers trail srlolz-
: ins has pipe as he ucnt forasard. lie had not
gone 90 PAGES before be came directly upon
the tissr lying ssleep u little open space
. beneath en- acacia tree. The brute vas "
ing tumbleways. as i be had lurched ID walk
ing and dropped IL his tracks. and vas sleep
: Ing the slumber Cf the Seven Sierpers rolled
into one. So close Vas Martin upon the
beast when he first saw him that with two
I more steps he could hare touched him with
his rife, but tie tiger did not rouse or NOW
II the least from his place. and al the noises
made By the party while about the bear and
IN their advance bad failed 20 disturb him
!. Indeed. but for his heavy breathing, To
AZ SIGHT Of the tiger the natives scat
tered aud took 20 trees, and Martin, thor
ouch sportsman and az piucky as they max
Z them. made some active STEPS 70 the real
I before stopping 10 investigate further
Then from behind bunch q jungle gTas'
4 be fred AZ the brute and missed a shot a
- easy az could BE offered. A. the report Q
the rife the tiger jumped 20 his feet stare
s wildly around and then bolted IN the clTeC
ton ~ which he happened % be pointed a
> the moment, which was toward ar acac.'
2 tree. ard brought CD. head on, with
> bump against the trunk. This gave Marin
I a fair shot al his side. and he placed bul
let behind the shoulder. Though the woun'
would have proved mortal the tiger wa
Sill active enough 20 have made trouble 10
a dozen hunters. but instead Of charging Z
the smoke. as Was 20 be expected under To
circumstances, be whiried about and roare
and tore az the tree. which gave Martin
chance 20 finish him with third shot IN II
ear.
r Martin at frst could hardly realize hi
good fortune in bagging spicHdid tiger .
70 ezsi,y. By threatening them with has rlfi
VI he got the natives down from the tree
>. and wsth their help be skinned the beast az
~ came hack with the hide 20 the bungalow
- His EXCLAMATION Of the strange behavior G
i the tiger was that the beast was dope,
% from feeding on the blood aud tissue Of N
~ poppyfed bear This theory seems quit
= reasonable, and II j. corroborzted By N
~ testimony q both European hunters an
fbskancs-native tiger hunters--who "a
that TIE fesb Of bears frequenting the popr
- feds has narcotic property which sironl
ly Affects any creature that feeds upon !
. This Is particularly the csse with those d
sipatec beas which are believed 10 ha'