The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-11-04
Strange Tale of the Man Eating
Tigers of India.

I was in charge of a party maxi
ing a survey for a railroad line be-
tween Nagpoor and Hyderabad, In
dia, and as there was no hurry
about the work our party was as
much a hunting as a surveying
party.
left camp at an early hour one
morning to fish. While l carried
my rifle with me, l had no inten-
ton of going out of my way to find
game On the previous afternoon
I had observed what seemed to be
a capital fishing spot in the bend
Of the river. Some of the native
servants were astir and saw me set
out, but l did not want their serv-
ices. 1t was pretty thick jungle
between the camp and the bend,
but at the bend there was a clear
spot an acre in extent, with a
heavy forest growth and a ledge of
rocks for background
l had landed half a dozen good
sized fish, and was just then play
ing a larger one, when a slight
noise startled me, and l looked
around to such sight as has sell
dom come to the eyes of a sports
man. A full grown tiger was with
in five feet of me, playing with one
of the fish. 1t was the last fish
pulled out, and in it's dying agonies
it was jumping around on the
grass. Every time it moved the
tiger would reach out paw in a
playful way, and once or twice he
struck it hard enough to move the
fish three or four feet. | tell you
was a badly frightened man, and
all could do was to sit there with
eyes and mouth opened. The tiger
had crept down from the bluffs, and
why he hadn't attacked me was
mystery He went from fish to
fish, turning them over with his
paw, and time and again brushing
me with his tail as he moved about.
My rife was 10 feet away, leaning
against a bush. and I might have
been idiot enough to try to reach
1t but for a warning My personal
servant had followed me to see
what luck | had. He uttered the
call of bird to attract my atten-
ton and then sang out: do moth
ing to provoke the tiger, master.
He is a hiloweele: if you do not
cross him he will go away"
He meant that the spirit of a
good native had been transformed.
and 1t was clearly the common
sense way to follow his advice. AS
the beast gave me no attention,
turned to the fish Juggling at my
line and landed him. He was of
good size and full of vitality, and
the tiger waited in a playful way
until removed the hook and threw
the fish on the grass. Then he
sprang for it like a kitten would
for ball of yarn, and he played
with 1t in the same way. 1t was
laughable, in spite of the circum-
stances, to witness his actions. He
would run around in circles, as you
have seen a young dog do, some
times almost leaping over me. and
then again he would become the
cat and creep softly forward to
pounce upon one of the fish. Each
one as caught was flung to him,
and 1t was full half hour before
he was tired of the sport. ex-
pected he would turn to me sooner
or later. but the native saw the
change in demeanor first and
called:
Master, the hiloweele is going
to play with you! Be as clay In
his power"
The tiger suddenly left the last
fish landed, and came stalking up
to me, purring like a cat and act
ing very playful His first move was
to worm his head under my left
arm, and. I'm telling you the sol
emn truth when ! say that I
smoothed down his fur as II he had
been a favorite dog. had on a
big straw hat. and this he got hold
OF in his teeth, and played with it
for 10 minutes, or until he had