CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1902-09-11
A Man OF Nerve

personal adventures We're ilpGY ana
thrilling.
l heard score of ans clotcs ,haat
Captain Benton before we left Myssfr
for tiger hunt in the foothills of the
Ghauts. There were six of US IL tie
party, with twenty natives TO mlrd
the horses and take care OF the camp.
and all went well for the FIRST wrC.:.
We had bagged two bears and tiger
and knocked over number of iacEas
when Il native came in one Inurn.ag
and reported that two full grown tigers
and cub were lying up iu Il nullah, or
rayinc, about three miles away.
A good deal has been written aEout
the ferocity of the Bengal tiger. but us
matter of fact he doesn't compare
with the hill tiger in either size or ten
per. Neither is he us cunning He has
been hunted so much that he is more
like a fugitive cat. The tiger Of the
hills seldom sees 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 ravinc.
| " heit hity ilsttlNtS uuu Soli'tlNh
to beat the tigers out OF their lair. and
we took up positions here and there
along the banks. Captain Rcnton'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 beaters getting to work, and
the captain lay down ON the broad OF
his back on the grass under n tree
while waiting. Instead of emulating
him | climbed into tree on my side
of the ravine and frankly ncknowledg-
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, 1t was to ind
three tigers standing over him. two old
ones and 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 rs they started
to cross an open spot. and curiosity
had compelled them to halt. 1t would
have been dead easy to pick on one of
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 us IL dead.
The female then turned him back.
while the cub leaped over him back
and forth In playful way. Then the
male tiger sniffed Mt 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.
1 could have called out. but dared not
do that for fear of provoking the Il.
gers. They were In n playful mood,
but yet they growled in menacing
way, and 1t was evident that they were
suspicious of my presence. I hoped
that when the noise ut the head of
the ravinc began they would stink
quietly Off. and listened for that with
my heart almost choking me. While
waited the cub lay down nt full length
and began biting one OF the captains
hands. He had torn the flesh with a
thorn the day before. and there was an
unhealed scratch. The rough tongue
OF the beast started the blood, and he
had no sooner got the taste than he
rose up, with fire In his eyes, and
growled savagcly. The old ones ad.
vanced and turned the body over and
back again and struck Mt the bleeding
hand with their paws, md 1t was cvi.
dent that they were encouraging the
\ 70, i,t.
human being. He was tlmId about be-
ginning. but finally lay down again and
bit and worried the hand as you have
seen dog worry rat. The old tigers
ran 10 and fro. whining and growing
and encouraging, and presently I real
lied that I must do something or the
captain would be eaten alive. had
just opened my mouth to utter shout
when the beating began. The natives
were armed with drums. hrecrackers,
torpedoes and cymbnls. and, though
they were mile away. the noise at
once alarmed the tigers. The three
were confused for Il moment. and then
the old male picked up the captains
body and started on with 1t. He did
not carry IL over 100 feet, however.
Ratified by the explosions In the nullnh.
he lost his wits and dropped the body
and bolted into the thicliet.
1t was only when too late that gave
the alarm. Two Of the hunters answer
ed my call, and we crossed the ravine
10 the body. / was hopeful that the
captain was still all right and more so
when we found that his hand had not
been SO very badly bitten, but brief
inspection proved that Inc was dead. !
The body was warm and limp. but the
heart had ceased TO beat. Tha, he could
not have fallen asleep so quickly after
lying down | felt certain. lie must