The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1904-06-03
KICKING
A HINDOO

for Eagenbeck In the district OF ben
gal, India, we one day heard OF one
eyed tiger which had killed at least q
dozen people and alarmed district ten
miles square. We were arranging iol
his capture when a native, who looked
to be at least eighty years old, came
forward and besought us not to meddie
with the beast, as 1t was hts mascot
and had been for years. We ridlcuieu
and hooted the idea, and when the ola
man became persistent and insoien'
our manager, whose name was Rod
bins, kicked him out Of camp.
The Hindoo went away cursing ana
that afternoon Robbins had pit dug
on q jungle patch and n goat tied to
a stake to bait the tiger. Some time
during the night the Hindoo's mascot
appeared, and in trying to seize the
goat he fell into the trap.
1t took us more than two days 10
get the fellow out OF the pit and into
q cage, and the cage had to be doubly
strengthened to prevent escape. lie
had scarcely arrived in camp when the
old man showed up again. The tiger
not only recognized him Mt once. but
exhibited every sign Of pleasure at his
presence.
The man began by offering us a fair
cash value for the captive and finally
raised his figures until the sum was
doubled. The rest Of us were for sell
ing the beast, as he would fetch no
more in Europe, but Robbins was
sulky and spiteful and declared that
no money could buy him. The Hindoo
left us in us bad temper as before
vowing that he would have his tiger
back If 1t cost hundred lives, and
the animals exertions to get free
frightened most OF the natives out Of
camp for an hour or two.
1t was u month later that we reach
ed Benares and landed our large col
lection Of captive wild animals ut the
shipping depot. l had general charge
of the depot, with forty or more native
assistants As the animals came In
they were transferred to the usual iron
cages used when shipping.
Vi ACA uuA hl6hNo dA Aoo 6oAS
well, but on certain Sunday night,
a quarter Of an hour before was to
start out on my last round, heard
the one eyed tiger cry out In peculiar
manner. 1t was just such cry Us he
uttered when the Hindoo came into
our camp in the jungle, cry which
you might imagine combined hail Of
welcome and threat OF vengeance.
I instantly suspected that the fakir
must be in the building. and, reaching
down for my revolver, stepped out Of
the room. Just then there was Il ter
rife roar from tigers, panthers, wolves
and hyenas, followed by shouts from
the men and queer noises from the
elephants and buffaloes. ! knew that
was too late. AS l stood by the
door pandemonium broke loose.
The HindoO had kept his VOW and
followed US to Benares to secure
vengeance. After his tiger had been
placed in the shipping depot the man
began work on the superstition of two
OF my native assistants and after 4
few nights they let him into the in
closure and gave him the key to tho
animals cage. On this night, after
being in the cage with the tiger for
half an hour. he had turned the beast
loose in the big room ana encouraged
him to attack one OF the elephants.
The man at once began freeing other
animals, and rs fast as one WAS free
he attacked another. Every assistant
had rushed into the room Mt the first
alarm. and not dozen OF them got
out again alive. They were mauled
and mangled by the elephants and buf-
faloes and attacked on sight by the
tigers and panthers. In 1--WE minutes
after the tigers first scream every AMI.
NAL IN the building was mad with
fright and desire for blood, and had
n hundred men at my back nothing
could have been done.
In fleeing down a passage TO get to
On outside door ran against buffalo,
crept under the belly Of an elephant
and brushed tiger which was lap
ping up blood. reached the door and
passed out to find n crowd of a thou
sand people surrounding the building.
was hardly out when the central
structure took fire from the broken
lamps, and then the uproar became
something positively terrific.
The door to the forage room had
been broken open-it had been fastened
by the Hindoo, who meant that every
human being in the buildings should
suffer death-and ten or twelve men
pulled out alive. or these two died
next day of their injuries. No one
dared to open the great doors and let
the maddened animals out, nor did the
hremen who came out from the city
dare go inside to fight the flames. A
portion Of the depot was saved by n
change Of wind. but what beasts and
birds escaped the flames were suffo.
Gated by the smoke.
Not one single captive Of any sort
was taken out alive. Among the dead
were the Hindoo and his tiger. The
man had heeA gored to death by buff
falo ns he moved about melting the nm.
imals to attack each other, and the II.
ger was dead from the bite of n cobra
which he had attacked as 1t g,lded
about.
The battle between the beasts and