Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-09-30
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
Had BY Officer Who Was Held Cap
tive BY q Tiger.

Had BY Officer Who Was Held Cap
tive BY Tiger.
Major Ridan, Of the Bengal Lancers,
was hunting with small party, and
one afternoon he wandered away from
camp a short distance and stretched
out under tree for nap. He had
not slept above a quarter Of an hour
when he was aroused by what seemed
to be the purring Of cat, only the sound
was much louder. He had never heard
the purr Of tiger or a panther, but
realized in an instant that one or the
other had come creeping upon him as
he slept.
The tiger, as was afterward ascer-
tained, had his lair within few hun
dred feet Of where the soldier was ly-
ing. After a minute or two, a paw
was placed on the officers shoulder
and he was turned over on the broad
of his back.
Through his eyewinkers he caught
sight of the paw, and then realized
that he was in the clutch Of full.
grown tiger. For the moment he was
rejoiced. A panther hasn't the good
nature Of tiger, and is also more
treacherous. A tiger will starve be-
fore he will feed on anything he has
not killed with his own paws, while q
panther will grab at anything that
comes in his way.
When the man had been turned on
his back, the tiger sat up like g. dog,
and purred like the great cat he was.
The beast was rolling and purring
when one Of the horses In camp utter
ed neigh. The major was watching
through half-closed lids, and the move
the tiger made astonished him. He
turned like a flash and bounded six
feet into the air, to whirl again and
stand head to camp.
AS the neigh was not repeated, the
tiger finally wheeled around and lay
down with his head on his paws, and
fastened his eyes on the soldiers face.
There was a long ten minutes, dur
ing which the major lived q month for
every minute. Then the beast slow
ly rose up, and, with touch Of his
right paw turned the man over on
his face. After shifting at the head,
he ran his nose down the leg clear
to the ankle.
One leg Of the soldiers trousers
had been pulled up. leaving his ankle
bare, and the beast gave the flesh a
couple of licks with his tongue that
felt like a file.
The taste didn't seem to tickle his
palate for some reason, and he return
ed to the playful mood. Once, as he
paved at the Jacket, claw caught
and ripped it down as a sharp knife
would have done. Once. too. he stood
with his paw on the mans hand, but
as his claws were sheathed the paw
felt like a ball Of velvet.
The major was rolled over at least
dozen times by the tiger. and the
beast leaped over him back and forth
like a dog at play, and he seemed to
get a good deal Of amusement out Of
1t and to preserve his good nature.
He finally fastened his teeth In the
mans hunting belt, and lifted him
clear Of the ground as easily as man
might lift kitten. II the soldier had
not been told over and over again that
a tiger eats only what he kills, he
would have made sure that he was
to be carried of.
He had a revolver in his belt. and
as his right hand fell down 1t
encountered the butt Of the weapon.
He might have drawn it and killed
the beast, or a shot might have frigh-
tened him away, but 1t was hardly
chance in hundred.
It may be that the tiger was hold
ing the man up to see II there was
life in him, and was hoping to feel
him make a movement. II there had
been the stir Of hand, death would
have been swift and merciless.
After swinging the man pendulum
fashion for a full minute, the beast
laid him down as carefully as you
please, gnawed the belt in two and
pulled 1t off, and, carrying one end In
his mouth, he frolicked away and was
hidden by the jungle.
An hour later the majors party had
formed a Gordon around the tigers lair
and sent in the beaters. At the 1rst
uproar the beast charged out with q
fierce growl and killed native with
one blow Of the paw which had treated
the soldier 80 gently.
Three minutes later he wheeled and
charged in the other direction, and
though he received bullets from two
different rifles, he sprang upon Capt.
West of the artillery, and carried him
300 feet before falling dead. The OF
fccr, who had been seized by the neck,
was dead long before the tiger gave