Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-06-02
MAN EATING TIGERS.
Dangers Faced by sportsmen who
Hunt Them.

iheIh.
Men who have shot the "big cats Of
the Indian jungle" all emphasize the
difference between an "ortliuary tiger
and "man eater" One varies from
the other as much as domestic pussy
from wildcat. The man eater when
It catches sight Of hunter is at once
all ailamc with the passion to dcvonr
him. 1t has tasted human flesh and
knows It's sweetness.
When the Brtishcr In India goes IT,
Ger hunting. therefore, lie looks first OF
III to his own safety. Having learned
mat tiger rarely looks upward, he
,ceks position ut some distance from
he ground, MS. for instance, the how
'lah of an elephant or II machan or leaf
covered box pcrcled in II tree
The tiger usually keeps Its eyes on
the ground because It finds it's prey
there and its enemies also. The natu-
raj inhabitants OF the trees, the birds
AMI the monkeys, it holds III contempt.
But OH the ground, besides the sweet
tcshch man, lives the water buffalo,
its most formidable foe In combat the
buffalo most times kills the tiger.
The peculiar sagacity of the elephant
is Of great assistance to tic man who
hunts tigers from the lowtlah. At the
approach of the big cat Hic pachy,lcrm
truDlpcts an alarm. and if properly
trained it will snatch its master with
It's trunk should lie be OH the ground,
and lift him into the howtlah on its
back. 1t then seeks the shadow of
some tree and stands perfectly still, as
!f knowing that in this way it will
steady the hunters aim.
When ono shoots tigers from the
machan, or tree ambush. he usually
picks Il place where The beast is wont
to retreat when alarmed. With com
pallion he hides himself In his nest In
his hind he holds Il magazine rifle
loaded and cooked. Willie in his belt he
carries n ha!f dozen pistols for instant
use should the gun fail him. Then lie
sends out score or more of natives
rs bcaicrs to drive the beast toward
him. I2ncirclng the region. the bcatcrS
begin to rap on the trees and TO Shout,
and these noises, because OF their
strangcnrss. frglltcn Tho animal
Yet when neither the howdah nor the
mac'an Is available the tiger hunter
will seek the shelter of only,a steep,
high rock. y captain OF the Indian
army recently killed n huge man eater
with only rock for refuge
The very evening TINT slew the
beast he said. In telling of his ad-
venture. The creature had devourou Il
woman returning to the village with
n bundle of wood she had cut In the
Jungle. Only an anlilct and some locks
OF hair We're left to tell of her fearful
fate. Tho villagers called me foolish
for trying TO kill the brute, for they
said he would provo too cunning Man
caters. they said. were far more cum
ming thnn tigers that had never tast-
ell human flesh. After they had sacri-
iced to their god, however. they he.
came more hopeful. Tho beatcrs went
out to drive him toward me- 1t seem
cd most likely lie was living under q
great hanyan tree not very far away.
Meantime pcrchcd myself on n rock
high over Il stream. Soon heard
fierce screams aId know that the beat
crs had found the tiger at home anil
were driving him toward me. \ mo.
nont later hc crashed through the un.
derbrush hundred fcct away. There
he stopped. his great tongue lollins
from his cavcrnols mouth Hearing
Inc noise coming nearer, he sliiak to
ward the stream. My first bullet
caught him in tho flank. 1t only an
sercd him, and. lifting his head, liz
Giared at me with blazing eyes. 1t
was the first time he had sccn me.
The sight of a man seemed to drive
him mad. With fierce roar he lcapc,l
upon me. but inst as lie rose in that
spring which meant the death of either
one of us my second bullet pierced his
| hcart' and he fell III heap ut the bot,
tom Of the rock