New-York tribune., 1901-07-07
NETTING A TIGER.
ONE OF THE RAREST FORMS OF BIG
GAME HUNTING
From The Londcn Globe.

who nave participated in the rarest form II big
game huntng-the netting Of royal tiger. 70
speak Of Il royal Bengal tiger in this connec-
ton would be geographically Inaccurate for it
is only in one corner of the Madras Presidency
that this sport takes place This is the Wynaad,
an elevated plateau. broken up into countless
hills. Here coffee. tea, and cinchona cult
waited. and twenty years ago the district
into brief but notorious prominence in the city
of London, owing To the discovery of gold Com
pan.es We're hastily formed ami heavily capital
ized nut the mireS never gave any promise IF
paying dividends reasonable capital.
owing to refractory ore. The Wynaad is. how
ever. paradise for sportsmcn. Elephants and
bison roam wild here, and several kinds # DIR.
which provide food in plenty for tigers and
leoIards Consequently these big cats rarely
attack cattle. and viii not look at tethered
cali or KID. The hunting Of them is very diff
cult Tor cover ahaunds by lucky chance i
man may stumble on when he has his rifle
with iiI1 and thus get a shot. otherwise H. may
Spt nd months. and even years. without catching
Il glimpse If them. although Oft on "A stiliy night
ne VIII hear their loud purr they come up
from drinking at stream where, in the morn
ing their pnsS will be plainly visible in the ; It
red clay.
The natives of the Wynaad are good sports
n. n, and they have experienced equ8i diff
Guilty in haSsng the lordly deer slayer. Nor
is me i"slr" 10 secure a tis"rskin solely 4 mat
Ter oi sport with them Now and again strip s.
turns cattle litter. ami before he is destroyed or
his TASTE for beef gluttcd he will decimate Il
herd. 1t can therefore he understood that
among Wynaad cuItivators there Is an inbred
amnesty against tigers very similar 70 n.
feeling Of the British farmer to-<ard the lc>.
-
TEN of netting which in favura Dle circumstances.
Is almost invariably successful. To understand
the system one must realize the lie Of the and
IN" hI!Is are mostly grass. but in their folds are
thick woods. from hall To Hve acres n
extent Between the hills swamps which
ara uh'"r il'r cultivation. II a tiger be- married
60" n in one of tn" smaller wcois when the -;ra-s
ON the hills is short IL is quite a simple Job -
Iun around the wood and await results
ON Il lovely morning N he carly autumn w.
was brought to ln- that Il tiger had been m
coiupassed Short time ,id ! spend in ccvrrinr
~ N mi
time of the year Is singular!y beautiful The Iir
- soft and balmy. large winged butterflies .,ut-
t"t ahead of you. no,kS Gf Parrots tiy scI-ech
ing above, AMI !nnumeIahle pleasant sounds and
scents rise from the surrounding jungle. Ar
rived AZ IN" seen" "t action. found lar;
tH'h"iI"E ~ IN" leading farmers and turir
iab"rrrs. armed with spears. guns. slaves 1nd
ho~s and arrows. The farmers ar fair Ski1.c-i
iu' H. with rather jew iSh cast Of Countenir"'.
They ar evidently immigrants to this upland
in comparatively recent times. The la6oIvrS ~.
low u pc very black many with curly ha.r,
thck hpS and "A distinctly negro look. Tuey ave
supposed 70 b" the ah0riSiuaIs of the country
and of the ancient Druyjd stock. As Il rule.
tines aerestc slaves are downcust and humbl.
3" men hut ON iH' occasion. thanks To- tu
ample supply of Dutch courage. IN the form Il
strong sag" palm arrdck. they We're bold prV
S"t "tiF' ing. not 10 say trucuI"nt. Iacy .at
with them their hunting dogs. yellow sort If
iuI cher. we'll fed and full Of pluck and cunnils.
The tiger hdu killed a COW the preceding dfj
noon ami dragged it into small wood On til
opposite hillside. Within three hours nets had
been run round the wood. and all night fires had
been Kept aliGht; tpmtoms freely thumprd
c"mIaEi.d by pro:Csa swearing al the tiger aid
all his femal" relatives The nets resemblv,i
large m'shcd sheep nets. they were fastru Il
lightly about six feet high and hung that
they would bag easily when the animal rush ai.
! WAS given spear, and The sport heEan on.
TWO of tn" more adventurous -rnt
within the wood where they climbed trees II /
/ aC'ed markers. Then the others shouted
guns were fired off. stones flung. and the dog
let loose. The din terrific but sudden
above 1t all came the unmstakahle ~ !,
tiger. The excitement intense. The Sh. II
/ voices of the markers in the trees could h.
distinctly heard The tiger is going up IN
3 hill, he is running to III" right. he has turned
, back. he is going to rush through at the nortl
| end. Look out. he is very angry | had J! = /
! posted at the end of an open glade: two uf n =.
, farmers with 1t seemed an unlilt, :
spot for the beast To break cover but they ild
/ not agree with me. For moment | thought
! they were right Not twenty yards off and
/ ing straight toward mo was an infuriated tiE I.
TWO dogs baying at his flank. Between me and
him was Il lllmSy Sheepnet. nothing more. the
only weapon had rusty spear. | suppose ali
the sins of my life should have crowded into my
brain 1t that moment, or | should have thought
of fighting wild beasts at Ephesus. hin :;
drunk. with excitement. l besoueht the royal
beast to charge; | shouted wild challenges ut
/ him | was consumed with burning De r. ~
drive my spear home. After that he might cha,
! me up for all | cared. IL not 10 We: '
turned short five Yards from the net. Ten min
utes later ! saw him rush higher up the hllI
and vull over ana over in the net for al the
world like Il gigantic rabbit. dozen SpsIIs
We're in him at the instant. He had chance
| the rush; the fatalities chiefly occur when IN.
/ "A we'll wit L.. n K