The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-05-10

Tiger shooing Is, believe, generally
regarded as serious work, and not a
picnic to be lightly entered on; but
from the moment p. came round to my
compound to say that four of the
brutes had been located In the Yikma
Jungle, some four miles from the set
tlement, to the morning of the last
disastrous beat the gods appeared to
do their best to make fun of the whole
expedition, and to rob us of that feel
ing of dignity due to those engaged in
blg-game shooting.
Perhaps | should not include P. in
this. p. was different He spoke
knowingly of shikars, machans, and all
parapherpalia of big shoot; he unused
pensively in the heat of the day, when
he should have been asleep, over Bad
minton on Big.Game Shooting and
guidebooks with blood-curdling pictures
that made me nervous. Between
whiles in desultory manner he ran
the camp mess, or sat in state receiv-
ing deputations Of villagers, bringing
the latest reports Of the movements of
the enemy.
There was no doubt about the tigers,
Il must be understood. The recollec-
ton Of journeys Of several days
length to the reported habitat of some
man-eater, only to find at each village
that it was so many ''li' further on,
was still fresh in my recollection, and
It seemed too good to be true that a
whole family had taken up quarters
so near to the settlement; but in the
. soft paddy and sweet potato fields bor-
dering the cover, one could hardly walk
ten yards without crossing their spoor.
Had we the proper arms, 1t may be
that our hunt had ended differently.
P. had a Martini Henry of the old .451
bore and Mauser pistol, and | IA
Winchester repeating carbine.
We camped in the old, tumble-down
building, half temple, half rest-house,
that Is common to most Chinese vii
lages. P. insisted on cooking the din
ner: also there was trouble about the
bait, so that 1t was half-past nine and
pitch dark when we sailed forth to
the tree we had chosen for our watch.
We had decided on a pig for bait, as
he was likely to make the most noise.
The grateful villagers, whom we had
come out to rid of the blood.thirsty
animals that we're devouring their cat
tie. required some three times its
value before they would part with it.
ness of that pig. In the temple 1t had
protested so loudly as to drown all me-
eotiations, but when at last tied up on
the field of action it was the most con-
tented pigs l have ever known. and
frantic pulls at the string attached to
his leg were utterly useless to stir him
to a sense of what was expected OF him.
at length, bitten all over by mosqui-
!. toes, and covered with ants, tree frogs,
\and that delightful bettle known to the
Chinese as the water buffalo"
climbed down and charged out on the
wretched animal, and by the light of
the rising moon chased him round and
round his tether till his squeals and
the shouts Of laughter from my COM
panion in the tree might have been
nheard for miles. Hardly had regained
the foot of the tree when P. gave
shout of warning and commenced
firing rapidly over my head. An in
slant later one short wall from piggy
announced that his duty was done, and
turned in time to see the tiger-a
dark, formless mass--disappear into
the cover with six dollars worth of
pork belonging to u.s..
It was against all rules and prece-
dent. P. had struck match and was
lighting his pipe in calm disregard of
my request that he would cover my
sortie. l was on the ground within a
few yards of the bait, while, repeat
the noise of laughing and talking
should have been, according to all our
instruction books, sufficient to scare
every tiger out of the province. How
ever, fairly or not, the tiger had scored
the first point, and there was nothing
20 do but to return to the temple.
Early next morning the headman of
the village was summoned, and, after
much argument, some twenty men
were produced to beat the cover for us.
We started across the paddy like the
chorus Of a comic opera, with hoes,
pitchforks, executioners' swords, and
halberds. One man preceded the party
with a huge gong, which he smote
Justify, to the great delight Of scores
of children, who were enjoying holiday
by reasons of our occupying the village
schoolroom, and the rear was brought
: up by half dozen kerosene tins and
the village flautist. 1t was as impos-
sible to keep them quiet till we should
reach the ground and take up positions
as 1t was to get them to stay there
>, when we had done SO. Gradually and
impercepubly the beaters-who COM