The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-07-18

bcWNoI Livingston NAG DeSn Ga ck
from India only week. yet the fel-
lows at the Colonial Club. among
whom he used % bask in an atmos-
phere OF high regard, were already
commencing to iool. uneasy when he
began-no; not began: resumed his
lnterminable stories about tiger hunt
ing.
1t is not given to every man who
carries big guns 10 India to bring
down three fine tigers. ard everybody
felt that Livingston should be al
lowed little pardonable swagger,
but it is wearisolne to nave to follow
through dinner after dinner an en-
thusiast's long tale about nowdahs
and shikaris and dak bungalows and
all the Hindustanee rest OF it. So il
was with gratitude that we al list
ened to the interruption OF Lieuten-
ant de ia Roche when he told a tale
that stopped poor Livin gston's tiger
"reminiscences foreve: Our buoyant
friend was laying down the law that
the tiger takes to man eating only
when he is too aged and cecreDit 70
hunt wild animals. De Ia Roche, q
Or, brown little fellow late OF tie
French army in ToIqaiE, begged his
pardon most elaborately, and said:
= know you will believe that an
not animated by spirit Of cap1ious
= contradiction when tell you c. NY
experience to the contrary. The Incl
dent was so awful that I am Teluc-
tant to speak CT it. l assure you that
every time 1 hear or read the word
tiger the air about me seems to Vi
brate with the shrieks that I shall
never forget.
Il was leading q surveying expe-
dition last year over the Pou Cha
Hong Mountains, on the way into
China, when we suddenly found our
, selves nenaced by horde Of tigers.
Nothing l had ever heard prepared
me for such a siege as this. In the
daytime We could see the huge, 81
lent, black-and-yel!ow beasts Sinking
through the bush not far from our
column. They never came near
enough to attack Us in force, but they
trotted and walked waJchfully along
a course parallel with ours. and
seemed TO be always waiting for
chance TO pcunce upon any stcag-
gler. Ycu may believe that We ad-
vanced with absolutely unbroken
unity.
Il had always believed that the
tiger is q solitary creature, that hunts
alone, Or, at most, in pairs. But here
they were actually stalking Us in
numbels-we often saw as many as
seven or eight at one time Although
they only menaced US at long range
in the day, the tigers We're very dan
gerous at close range after night
fail. Under the advice of cur tai
pan, or head man, made the camp
very compact, and always ended the
days march at least one hour before
the brief twilight. Then we built g
ring Of camp-fres around ouG stop
ping place TO keep the tigers away.
You Americans have heard OF the aw-
ful temperature in the Philippines.
Believe ne it is still hotter and more
moist in TcnQuin. Add to that the
warmth from the campfres, and you
shall derive from the sum total some
idea CT the awful heat we had 10
undergo every night. The air was
sitting. We slept very little, and
then only ftfully.
One night, as We were doing iG-
side our ring OF fire in the Wang
Hoa Forest, we were aroused by TIE
cries CT human beings II awful dis
tress. Ny friends, l have heard at
the opera and in the theatre sounds
which represented the sounds CT
many souls in agony, hut never nave
l listened TO such shr:eks IS those.
The number OF voices seemed TO be
myriad. There could DE no doubt oS
the dire extremity OF the people.
In a moment every one in our camp
was wide awake. l called the tai
pan.
Get the boys ready, I ordered
him. We must save those people.
Ny lord lie replied, 1t is mad
ness. Do not lead us outside Of the
ring CT fires If we so We shall die
The tigers will deyour Us. They are
Mt work now. 1t is the cries of their
victims that we hear. We can do 10
good. and if we so we die
"Gradual!y the cries diminished in
volume, died into silence I felt
rather than heard the rustic CT every
leaf in the forest. Sleep was i'm
possible for any of Us. We tossed
on our cots, oppressed By the
sitting heat of our protecting fires,
and frightened by the screams that
stijl rang in our ears.
ctr -,,, .oFo ~ 1-onI,v,o OF