Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-06
DAILY SHORT STORY
Calling the Tigers.
rCopyright. 1902. by c. b. Lewis. ]

could have taken it was his body serv-
ant, who had served him faithfully
and honestly for many years. The
man protested his innocence, but the
colonel ordered him logged. The ac-
cused was n high caste man. ana a
logging meant social death to him.
In his distress he sent for an old man
named Doorunda. The old man came
and said to the colonel:
"Syng Rang is innocent. If you whip
him, he must die by his own hand to
wipe out the disgrace. Spare him, and
1 will do my best to find the thief who
stole your ruby"
The colonel at once reasoned that
Doorunda was a partner in the theft
and announced that the fiogging would
take place on the morrow if the gem
was not given up. 1t was not restored.
and Syng Rang was publicly whipped
and committed suicide the same even
ing AS for the old man. he disap-
peared from Bangalore, and there were
those who thought he might have tax
en- the plumber with him. Four months
after the disgrace and death of Syng
Rang and when the event was all but
forgotten the colonel and four other
officers of the Fifth went on a tiger
hunt into the foothills of the western
Ghauts.
Three or four tigers and a couple
of panthers were bagged, and not
an accident had happened. Then one
of the servants reported that old Doc
runda had been seen near the camp
and when accosted by one who knew
him we'll had run away. His only OBJ
ject could be revenge, but yet the mat
ter was treated lightly. No search was
made for him until his presence was
reported again, and then the servants
who were sent out did not wish to
find him. He had a reputation of
which they stood in fear. After three
or four days. however. he entered
camp one day when all the officers
and most of the servants were away
on the hunt. To one of the syces, or
grooms, he said:
81 do not wish that harm should
come to my own kin, but l will de-
stroy the sahibs root and branch. On
the third night from this, an hour after
midnight, you will hear me singing be-
hind those rocks up there. When you
do so, you must not lose a moment in
climbing n tree. Tell this to all 9TH
ers, but say not word to the sahibs."
but what is to happen when you
singY asked the groom.
what is to happen will happen"
With that Doorunda disappeared, to
be seen no more. The groom notified
all the other servants as they came in
and then went to his master with the
story. The five officers were made up
of the colonel, major and three cap
tains, and the groom served one of the
latter. The story was passed along to
the colonel, who received it with Il
sneer and sent out word that If the
old man was caught sight of again he
should be made prisoner and held for
fiogging. If any of the officers was
inclined to heed the warning, he gave
no outward sign of it, but the servants
quietly prepared to obey the injunc-
ton. At midnight on the third night,
while the white men slept, the dark
skinned servitors left their campfires
and mounted into trees and remained
silent and watchfuI. For an hour all
around them was quiet and peaceful,
and some of them had begun to laugh
at their own fears when the shrill,
wailing voice of the old man came to
them from the rocks. 1t was an in
cantation he walled out, and he kept
it up for ten minutes. None of the Off
GERS awoke. The servants shivered
with fear as the voice continued, and
the horses stamped and snorted and
pulled at their halters- 1t was strange
that men who sleep as lightly as sol
diers do should not have been aroused,
but it was so in this case. Two or
three minutes after the song ended
the natives looked down from their
perches to see old Doorunda enter
camp with as many as a dozen tigers
frisking around MIN like so many
dogs. He halted before the coloners
tent and stood still for n moment, and
then, clapping his hands, he cried out:
Now, now. now. Now you may
rend and tear and kill to the last!'
A horrible tragedy followed. The
tigers separated and rushed upon the
tents, and in only one case was shot
fired. 1t was all over in five minutes.
Two of the horses broke away and
escaped, but the others were dragged
down. The maddened tigers sprang
at the trees and ragged about, but Of
fered no harm to the old man in their
midst. When all was over, he quoted
them with q whistle. and, standing in
the center of the camp, he said to
the terror stricken men in the trees
above him:
"Had the sahib colonel spared Syng
Rang 1 would have spared him. This
is my vengeance for the wrong that
was done an innocent man. Tomorrow
you will go back to Bangalore and tell
them what has happened. and tell
them brought it about l am sorry
for the sahibs who were innocent, but
they were here with the guilty and
could not be separated"
When morning came, the natives
headed for Bangalore, and the tale
they told on arriving appeared so in
credible that all were locked up until
It could be investigated. 1t was found