The Washington times., 1901-07-14

tween the hills are swamps which are
under rice cultivation. If a tiger be
marked down in one of the smaller woods
when the grass on the hills is short il is
quite a simple job to run a net around the
wood and await results.
On a lovely morning in the early au-
tumn news was brought to me that a
tiger had been encompassed. Short time
did ] spend in covering the few interven-
ing miles. The Wynaad at that time Of
the year is singulariy beautiful. The air
is soft and balmy: larged winged butter
flies fiutter ahead of you; fiocks of par
rots fly screeching above. and innumer-
able pleasant SQUADS and scents rise
from the surrounding jungle, Arrived at
the scene of action, l found a large gath
ering of the leading farmers and their
laborers, armed with spears, guns. slaves
and bows and arrows. The farmers are
fair skinned men, with rather a Jewish
cast OF countenance. They are evidently
immigrants to this upland in compara-
lively recent times. The laborers are a
low type, very black, many with curly
hair, thick lips and a distinctly negro
look. They are supposed to be the abo-
riginals of the country and of the ancient
Dravfdian stock. As a rule. these agrestic
slaves are downcast and humble in mien.
but on this occasion, thanks to an ample
supply of Dutch courage in the form of
strong sago palm arrack they were bold
and staggering. not to say truculent.
They had with them their hunting dogs
yellow sort of lurcher. well fed and full
. Of pluck and cunning. The tiger had kill
ed a cow the preceding afternoon and
dragged II into a small wood on the op-
posite hillside. Within three hours nets
had been run round the wood, and all
night fires had been kept alight: tom
toms freely thumped, accompanied by
profnse swearing at the tiger and all his
female relatives. The nets resembled
large meshed sheep nets; they were fast
ened lightly about six feet high, and hung
so that they would bag easily when the
animal rushed
was given a spear, and the sport be-
gan. One or two of the more adventurous
were sent within the wood where they
climbed trees and acted as markers Then
the others shouted. guns were fired off,
stones flung. and the dogs let loose. The
din was terrific, but suddenly above it
all came the unmistakable roar of a tiger
The excitement was intense. The skriI
voices OF the markers in the trees could
be distinctly heard. 1.-THE tiger is going
up the hill; he is running to the right:
he has turned back; he is going to rush
through at the north end Look out. he
is very angry" l had been posted at the
END OF an open glade; two of the farmers
were with me. 1t seemed an unlikely spot
for the beast to break cover, but they
did not agree with me. For moment
thought they were right. Not twenty
yards OF and coming straight toward me
was an infariated tiger, two dogs baying
-at his flank. Between me and him was a
fiimsy sheepnet, nothing more; the only
weapon had rusty spear. suppose all
the sins of my life should have crowded
into my brain at that moment. or / should
have thought of fighting wild beasts at
Ephesus. or something else.
thought OF nothing. l was drunk.
mad drunk with excitement. 1 besought
the royal beast to charge; I shouted wild
challenges at him. i was consumed with
burning desire to drive my spear home
After that he n ut chaw me up for all
I cared 1t was not to be; he turned
short five yards from the net Ten min
utes later l saw him rush out higher up
the hill and roll over and over in the net
for all the world like a gigantic rabbit.
A dozen spears were in him at the in
slant. He had no chance whatever. II
10 rare tAdt d IidH iS HuIl uuI1hs lhe
rush: the fatalities chiefly occur when
the tiger sulks. and a man well prfmed
with drink is sent into the wood to stir
him up. This drunkenness is the reason
why few Europeans hear of tiger net
ting. and why one is never allowed to
stand in the likeliest spot. The farmers
fear a drunken spear thrust. so easily
given in the excitement of the moment
However. 1 was fortunate, and those five
| seconds when 1 thought the tiger would
charge will remain with me all my life
a thrilling memory.-The London Globe.