The Washington herald., 1908-07-26
TIGER BATTING AFoOT.
Dangerous Sport of JaFunese-SPear-
men at Annual Festival.

Dangerous Sport of JaFHnese-SPear-
men at Annual Festival.
Tiger batting as practiced by the Java
nese would seem 10 be The most daring OF
all sports. Il thrills the blood OF Euro
pean spectators. and sometimes makes
them wish they could look on from a bal
loon The tiger IS the most feroclovs Of
the cat family. and the hunting OF him !n
India is not conducted without al elab-
crate outfit of elephants. shikaris. and
rifles, yet the natives OF Java let him
loose IN a public square and worry him
20 death with their spears. The batting
Is an annual festival called ''rampokT I;
takes place in the palace fnclosUre Of the
native su-tans- The inclosure IS q mile
square and has walls fourteen feet high
and about as thick. but the batting IS held
in g long. open space called the "aloun-
alOun," bOrdered BY stately wartngins or
sacred trees, of the island. a grand
stand. occupied by the Sultan. his family,
and foreign guests, faces the center Of
the square. where eight OF ten cages
each containing a tiger. are placed
Thousands OF spearmen, armed with
sharp-pointed lances. march up and SUI
round the square. says Pauline AganooJ
in the Wide World Magazine. Behind
the spea-nen are native spectators. i
is a thrilling moment when the Sultaz
gives a signal for the sport 70 begin. Two
unarmed men approach one Of the cages
pull up the trap door. and take 70 thei;
heels They have a job OF doubtful honor
The Jungle monster IS. perhaps. IN ar
ID
on the first human being at hand. Ons
bound. and he could overtase the fleeing
men. Yet It is more likely that the tiger
spirit is cOwed by long captivity. and that
he. dazed by so much publicity. refuses tc
bulge from his cage In that case. Z
pistol is fired near him. and the startled
beast euits q roar as be leaps from III.
iron prison A cry arises from the spec
tators. and the spearmen stiffen theil
lances as he dashes straight toward them
lie sees too many lanCes IN front he
stops suddenly and thinks IL over. Their
he walks suIkily around the square. his
1.-THE body in partly crOuching position
his tail moving slowly from side 70 side
his ears back and his yellow eyes ashiHC
with ugly alertness- He gives a hideou.
snarl, showing his powerful white teeth
as & handful OF pebbles are flung at him
The little brown natives revile the fores-
ruler and taunt him. They tell him he 3.
not in the jungle now. and viii get his
deserts for killing cattle and eating little
children. They entreat him TO give 9
sample OF his reputed ferocity- Finally q
spearman reaches forward and gently
priclls him IN the flank. Like a fash the
maddened tiger leaps high in the ali
and attempts 20 pass the serTied wall. but
he is caught on the points Of severa
laaces. and falls back into the square
amid the shouts Of the spectators. He
snarls with pain and rage. rolls around
in a whirlwind OF black and yellow stripes
springs across the inclOsuTe, and make.
another try TO escape. Again the lances
catch him and the blood flows from many
wounds. He Is insane with rage. and
dashes about. attacking all sides Of ths
living barrier. It Is rarely that he sue
ceeds in Overlapping the spearmen, as q
tiger did once, and landed on the head.
Of rearward spectators. who shrieked il
terror and fell over one another. Will,
the savage beast made for the open gate
and regained his liberty in the tropica
forest. Generally the wounded anina
falls from exhaustion and the spearluer
make an end Of him. The batting zoe.
on until all the tigers are killed. The Sui
tan pays high prices for the animals cap
tured for the "rampok"