Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-06-06
CLOSE ACQUAINTANCE
Copyright. 1908. by c. B. Lewis.l

I had been in India for two years
with Lowenback's men, and we had
made many captures of wild animals.
One day as we were beating up for
est in search of water holes, so that we
might set traps for the animZaS COM
ing to drink, / suddenly heard ele-
plants ahead of me. l was leading
the way and supposed my men were
following. The afternoon was wearing
away, and whenever | struck taNora-
BILE ground l increased my pace TO
run. | finally heard the elephants
ahead of me and was creeping up when
I suddenly realized that was alone in
the forest. / waited for perhaps ten
minutes and then followed slowly on
after the elephants, who were feedlnS
as they moved along. l expected to be
overtaken at any moment and was not
in the least alarmed. | was gradually
getting on to the heels OF the nero
when something occurred to alarm the
beasts again, and away they went at a
tremendous gait, and knew l should
zee nothing more Of them that after
noon.
was now within four miles OF the
village and on a plain path, but the sun
was so low that it was twilight IN the
forest. l was going forward at good
pace when huge hyena crossed my
path. with q growl. Two minutes later
there were yelps and snarls from every
direction, and realized that the night
providers Of the forest were astlr.
was going bravely ahead and would
have been out Of the forest III nall an
hour more when the sun went down,
and l had to almost feel my way 1oot
by foot. The situation was anything
but pleasant. If l climbed tree
might be bitten by a snake lurking
among the branches, and the mosqul-
toes would eat me alive in two hours
if escaped the serpent. 10 go lot
ward was to guess at the rlght COIL
pass point, and heard sounds TO prove
that wild beasts were proving about
in every direction. Williams had Dor
rowed my match box or l could nave
made q torch. had a heavy single
barrel rifle, but no extra ammunition
and therefore dared not fire n signal.
was picking my way slowly, feeling
a beaten path under my feet, when OF
q sudden 1 felt myself falling. one
cannot remember his thoughts in such
emergencies. l may have cried OUT
hut I do not recollect it. l remember
that as I brought up on my head and
shoulders l heard q fierce growing
almost in my ear. was stunned 1or
q moment. When 1 pulled myself up
to a sitting position 1 was at one end
of an elephant pit, which was five feet
wide. twelve feet long and twelve feet
deep. The other end was occupied by
q tiger. | knew it because L conld
smell him and because he had his eyes
on me, and | knew his eyes belonged
to a tiger. Elephant pits are generally
so firmly covered that no beast weigh
ing less than 500 pounds can break
through. This one, as l afterWard as
certained, had been covered so long
that the poles had rotted and weaken
cd. The tiger was ahead Of me in fall
ing in.
No one can tell how a wild beast will
act under certain circumstances. Inere
is even a wide difference between two
Of the same species. This tiger did not
rush upon me as I fell into the pit, but
that might have been the action OF an
other. AS became certain OF the STU
alton found little in it to console me,
and 1 admit that was badly ratified.
The tiger kept his two greenish eyes
fastened on me, but l glanced at him
only at long intervals. The fact that
he had not attacked me might be taken
as proof that he would not if l did not
provoke him. It was q very hot night
above but quite cool at the bottom OF
the pit, and not single mosquito found
its way down there. After a lapse of
half an hour 1 began to get my nerve
back, and it may astonish you to learn
that took a number Of short maps dur
ing the long hours Of that night.
was sleeping quite soundly when
daylight came and a whining, shutting
noise made by the tiger aroused me.
My eyes were hardly open when he
came over to me and smelled of my
knees and feet and hands. He actual
" rested his head on my knees and
looked into my eyes. l think he was
at first inclined to attack me. as he
growled in q menacing way and dashed
his tail, but as 1 shut my eyes and kept
quiet he finally changed his mind and
withdrew to a corner. AS time passed