The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-08-08
A Man OF Nerve
downright. 1902 by G. B. Lewis.

copyright 1902, by C. B. Lewis.l
They had good deal to say in the
Tenth native cavalry about Captain
Jack Bentons nerve. He had a record
as daredevil of fighter and his
personal adventures were many and
thrilling.
| heard a score of anecdotes about
Captain Benton before we left Mysore
for tiger hunt i'll the foothills of the
Ghauts. There were six of us in the
party, with twenty natives to mind
the horses and take care of the camp,
and all went well for the first week.
We had bagged two boars and a tiger
and knocked over a number of iackals
when a native came in one morning
and reported that two full grown tigers
and cub We're lying up in a nullah, or
ravine, about three miles away.
A good deal has been written about
the ferocity of the Bengal tiger, but as
a matter of fact he doesn't compare
with the hill tiger in either size or tenn
per. Neither is he as cunning. He has
been hunted so much that he is more
like a fugitive cat. The tiger of the
hills seldom sees a human being, is
driven out only by hunters, and he is
utterly without fear. The Bengal may
drop his tail ana run away after fac
ing hunter for moment but the 9TH
er will surely spring and die fighting.
The six of US set off for the ravine,
where about fifty natives had collected
to beat the tigers out of their lair, and
we took up positions here and there
along the banks. Captain Benton's
position was opposite mine and about
twenty rods away, and the ground was
so open that we had a fair sight of
each other. There was some delay
over the heaters getting to work, and
the captain lay down on the broad of
his back on the grass under a tree
while waiting. Instead of emulating
him l climbed into a tree on my side
of the ravine and frankly acknowledge
ed to myself that l felt shaky. There
was profound silence in the neighbor-
hood, and while settling myself in
comfortable position | lost sight of the
captain for four or five minutes. When
| looked across again, it was to find
three tigers standing over him, two old
ones and a cub. They had left their
lair at the first alarm and came trot-
ting down through the thickets on the
north bank of the nullah The cap
tain was in their path as they started
to cross an open spot, and curiosity
had compelled them to halt. 1t would
have been dead easy to pick off one of
the three beasts at that distance had l
not been ratified. The sudden advent
of the tigers set me to shaking, and my
teeth chartered as | sat there in the
treetop and watched their movements.
The old male tiger first reached out
paw and turned the captain over on
his face. He was as rigid as if dead.
The female then turned him back,
while the cub leaped over him back
and forth in a playful way. Then the
male tiger shifted at the mans face
and licked his cheek, and the female
struck him several times on the leg
with her paw.
Although | was too upset to shoot,
could have called out, but l dared not
do that for fear Of provoking the I'll
gers. They were in a playful mood,
but yet they growled in a menacing
way, and it was evident that they were
suspicious of my presence. l hoped
that when the noise at the head of
the ravine began they would stink
quietly off. and l listened for that with
my heart almost choking me. While l
waited the cub lay down at full length
and began biting one of the captains