Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-06-19
A Tiger IN A TREE.
Experience Of wh.Isr'. Crew In tn.


Experience Of whsIer's Crew IN tho
Island CT java.
Two days had been spent watering
ship at a spring ON the banks OF the
New river. which Is days sail from
AMER. a neat little roadstead I'm me
Island OF Java. and on the morning OF
the Shird day the captain OF the New
Bedford whaler concluded he would
make an excursion a few miles up the
river. Accordingly his boat was fitted
out with some provisions. and there
was gun for each man. with plenty
of ammunition The captain took his
rifle. the only weapon OF its kind on
board. a young whaler with n record
as good shot-a tiger at twenty feet
being his most famous achievement
was ordered into the boat0s the look
ouS man and sharpshooter. What fol-
lowed after they set sail is best told
in his own words as he has written
them i'm Forest and Stream:
The wind was fair, and we proceed
cd up the river at a good pace. IL
was a narrow. sluggish stream. its
banks bOrdered with virgin forests and
no sign OF human habitation. The
trees We're full Of birds and monkeys.
and they kept up a racket which was
novel and interesting TO US. Then.
too. the captain was in excellent hui
NOR. full OF yarns of his voyages and
adventures. and the time passed rap
idly. At noon we ate our lunch and
took in sail and began our return Jour
ney, estimating that we had gone up
the river about fifteen miles.
The wind was now dead ahead. and
we got out oars for fifteen mile pull.
mere trifle for well seasoned whale
men. PENDING TO the ash, we made
the boat spin along ut 4 lively gait and
were some five miles away from the
turning point when suddenly the cap
tain exclaimed:
My goodness, Look at that tiCerrr
And. sure enough. lying well out on an
overhanging branch Of tree under
which we must pass lay a magnificent
tiger. evidently watching its chance to
spring into cur boat.
To say that the captain was CALLED
conveys but q faint idea Of his mental
condition. and as Tor my shipmates
they were Il sight 70 behold Perhaps
my experience ut AMER helped 70
steady my nerves. for while the cap
| tain was still in a funk I said conf
IDENTIFY:
Captain. let me have your rife. and
l feel sure I can knock that fellow off
his perch
The captain handed me the rife. and
~ an instant I drew a bead. and lust
rs the captain was saying. "Now. Jack.
/ don't miss him" fred. I felt Shaky
myself for knew IL 1 missed him the
/ chances were that when he made his
/ spring be would land in our fran boat
/ and that would be the end Of boat. cap
/ tain and crew.
But the bullet went TO the mark
/ Like an arrow from q bow the beauti
/ ful creature shut through the air. We
felt the wind OF his form rs he passed
only few inches over our heads and
with fearful splash. went below IN,
surface Of the water. The instant h,
struck the captain roIrcd ke Il lion:
"Now pull. boys. pull, cts get GU
OF this Internal hole~
We DID pull. better perhaps than W,
ever lid on going on TO 4 whale. anC
the gait we made in going back 70 IN,
ship held the record for the rest OF IN,
voyage. Long after. sometimes whcr
the captain would get excited In pull
Ing for fleeing whale. he would sinl
out; Pull. boys, pull, There's tige
up that tree