Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-07
DAILY SHORT STORY
Why the Major Resigned.
Copyright. 1902. by c. B. Lewis.l

man. one day WINE III MS cups ne
declared that he would spend three
nights in the jungle simply to prove
that the tiger was much abused ami
NAL. What the major said when tight
he always backed up when sober. No
matter how drunk he got, he always
clearly remembered the subjects of
conversation.
Next day after his boast he made
ready to carry il out. He was In COM
mand at the post, and there was no
superior to order him. The subordi-
nate officers, individually and collec-
lively, appealed to him not to expose
his life, but he was firm as rock.
81 said l would do 1t, and do it 1
WILL was his reply. and it is on rec
ord that he did do it.
Kurnool is near the foothills of the
Eastern mountains, in the province or
Madras, and tigers We're as plentiful
in the jungles as dogs in the street
In that same year the civil service re-
ported fifty-five people as having been
killed by tigers. detail of fifteen
men was sent out distance of four
miles to cut path and make little
clearing, and before nightfall Major
Clayton rode to the spot. He had no
weapons of defense and no tent. He
simply proposed to sit at the foot of
a tree all night and take his chances.
1t is still looked upon in India as
the biggest fool thing ever INDUCED in
by a white man. Aside from tigers,
the jungle was infested with panthers,
hyenas and cobras, and there did not
seem to be one chance in ten thousand
that the major would come off with
his life. He did, though. He not only
passed one night in the jungle, but
three nights, and he came out of
1t without a scratch. While he made
light of the dangers there was no doubt
that his courage had been severely
tested. He admitted that tigers and
panthers had prowled about within a
few yards of him and that he had
fought hyenas with a club but he was
inclined to hold the situation in con-
tempt
Unfortunately for Major Clayton, the
papers published the details of his dar-
ing feat, and the brigadier at Mysore
thus became acquainted with them.
He forwarded sharp reprimand, back
ed by a threat, and the pig headed
major defended his position in re-
port. This brought about a breach,
and the culprit was suspended from
duty pending an investigation. He
might possibly have pulled through
again but for his own further actions.
He returned to the jungle and passed
n fourth night and then boldly an
nounced in the public prints his belief
that no white man in India had ever
been killed by wild beast. In the
course of couple of weeks he got the
alternative of handing in his resigna-
tion or of being brought to court mar
tial, and he sent i'm his papers. He had
not been clear of the service a week
when his death occurred.
On the great highway running from
Kurnool to Bellary, Cuddopah and My
sore, as on other highways of India,
there are government bungalows for
the use of travellers. They are simply
shelters, as every person must furnish
his own food and bedding. Major
Clayton had started to ride to Bellary
and at midnight took up his quarters
in q bungalow. He had a servant with
him, and there were several other trav-
elers and their servants. 1t was n
bright moonlight night, and after the
evening meal the major and four other
men, all of whom were civilians and
acquainted with his case, sat on the
veranda smoking.
The former officer was rather bitter
against the military authorities. as
may be supposed, and would not adj
NIT that he had put himself in a false
position. He thought hungry hyena
might attack a helpless or sleeping
man at night, but that neither tiger
nor panther could be brought to do it.
All his arguments and contentious
were at variance with established
facts. and his fellow travellers COM
hated them, and the dispute waxed
hot. They were all talking in loud
tones and the major had just ex-
pressed his contempt for all statis-
tics when a tiger left the cover of
bush under which he must have been
| crouching for some time and advanced
at a slow trot across open ground
directly upon the men on the We
randa. His action was so bold that he
was taken for dog. There were two
men on each side of the major, but as
the beast came on it leaped upon the
veranda, seized the former soldier by
the right shoulder and had turned to
leap to the ground with him before
any one suspected his identity. Then
one man kicked him and another
grabbed him by the tail, while u third
broke n chair over his head. The tiger
growled and shook his victim, but
would not let go. When seized, the
major cried out:
my God, it's a tiger, and 1 have
been all wrongT
Those were his only words. In a
g. IL, ~
ground and was galloplng off with
him. Guns were fired, and men shout
ed and ran after the beast, but he
paid no attention to them. He leaped
ditch six feet wide, sprang over a
fence, and after q run of n hundred
rods over open ground he reached the