The Globe-republican., 1903-12-03
E-E-E-E-*-*-Ef-*
, Fundng The Cave
Tiger.
You Crawl Into His ParIor With a
Torch and Pot Him.


There Is good hunting in Chna-excit-
Ing enough to suit any sportsman II IS
thoroughly sportsmanlike, also, for 1t Is
an equal contest between the hunter and
his quarry. The quarry Is tiger
Tigers in the Chinese hunting country
are found in caves in rocky territory. The
method of getting one Is simple.
The hunter enters the tigers cave when
the tiger is in it, and shoots. There are
no dogs no beaters. no aids Of any kind,
save native tracker holding torch.
Therefore 1t is advisable to see the tiger
quickly to shoot even more quickly when
you do see him, and not to miss him when
you shoot.
A returning American who tried this
strenuous sport once-only Onca-Was tell
ms about his experience the other day,
This IS his story Of the most exciting
hunting trip he ever took or ever expects
10 take:
II happened to be near Annoy, not long
after the recent unpleasantness in Chi
ma" he said, "and there / met a friend
who Is employed in the Chinese customs
service. He Is a keen sportsman, and l
thought then that | was. Naturally,
when he showed me several fine tiger
tirers ' himseIf in tha coI,ntrv around
about there wanted IN shoot a tiger
myself
the tigers we're found among the caves,
but I didn't raise nny serious objection
TO that. hearing that there was little
Jungle about there, You see. | didn't
know.
NV friend said he'd fix It for me.
When was so set on the tiger shooting
he was as anxious as |. He lent me
rifle, found native traeker and the next
morning set off,
I'VE went by boat up the river to the
! tiger country. After an hour or two we
came to spot where the banks were
high and rocky and honeycombcl with |
many caves and openings, Then we land
ed and my guide began to examine the
cave mouths for tracks
AT last, at the mouth of q large, dark
fssure he pointed out some marks in the
sand which he said were the tracks of a
tiger He wasn't satisfied that they were
fresh, but nevertheless he lit torch and |
signed to me to enter.
Then for the first time realized JUST
what was up against.
Il confess freely that didn't like It, | |
think I'd have backed out II could but |
there | was, committed 10 the enterprise.
There was no getting out Of 1t, so, reas-
surng myself with the notion that if my
friend could Kill tigers that way | could, [
saw that my rifle was properly loaded
and stepped in front Of the tracker.
THE cave widened inside and in the
floor Of clear white sand the tracks were
plainly visible; The cave was not large,
though, and there was no tiger inside.
Being sure Vt that we went on.
"The guido said it was not the regular
haunt Of the tiger, but he occasionally
used 1t, and now he was pretty sure he
knew the cave where that tiger would be-
lie took me To another cave
There were many tracks ut this one
They led into a narrow, dark opening
which you couldn't enter upright. But
the traekor relighted his torch, signed to
me to get down Oh my hands and knees
and get in,
again ! was ashamed 10 refuse. !
went in
Behind me. blocking The passage, came
the trackcr. with his lighted torch Just
ever my shoulder. Cropping on hands and
Knees along 4 winding hole | could see
only two or three yards ahead
"Bcyond tbat was i1Hy blackness More
than once thought saw the tigers
shape in front Of me. But each time inc
guide behind prolded me to 90 on !
hated TO- but went
we must have penetrated fifteen or /
twenty yards in ths way when ! found
the passage widening and saw that it led I
into Il larger cave, ] was just about ~
enter this onsr1tulatins myself that
here at any rate ! could stand upright
and move, instead Of being cramppl on 5
hands and knees at the mercy Of what {
ever there was ahead, when the tracller
seized my arm from behind and pointed
over my shoulder into the darkness.
II couldn't see thing at first and I
couldn't describe my feelings, but then
the guide raised his torch little, and [
perceived only few yards IN front of me |
two burning eyebals, apparently close to
the ground
1T was case If acting quickly and
making no mistake. ! raised my rife,
anu Win Tue llHDt ~ llh loren OGnlnl me
IN the sights, ! aimed straight between
me Two points Of lire and pulled the trig-