Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1908-12-25
BATTING THE TIGER
DANGEROUS SPORT INDUCED IN
BY JAVANEsE.
Captured Monarch Of the Jungle
Turned Loose In Public Square
and Worried to Death by
Men with Spears.

T~iger-baiting as practiced by the
%Javanese would seem to be tho most
daring Of all sports. 1t thrills the
blood OF European spectators and some
times makes them wish they could
look on from n balloon. The tiger is
the most ferocious OF the cat family,
and the hunting OF him In India Is not
conducted without an elaborate outfit
OF elephants, shikaris and rifles, yet
he natives of Java let him loose in n
public square and worry him to death
with their spears. The batting is an
annual festival called "rampok." 1t
place In he palace Enclosure OF
the native sultans. The Enclosure Is
a mile square and has walls ii feet
high and about as thick. but the bait
Ing Is held In n long, open space called
the "aloun-aloun," bordered by stately
waringins, or sacred trees, of the is
land a grand stand occupied by the
sultan, his family and foreign guests
races the center Of the square,. where
eight or ten cages. each containing a
tiger are placed.
Thousands Of spearllep. armed with
sharp-poin:ed lances, march up and
surround II square. Behind the spear
men are native spectators. It is O
thrilling moment when the sultan
gives n signal for the sport to begin.
Two unarmed men approach one of
the cages, pull III the trap door and
tnke to- their heels. They have q Job
of doubtful honor. The Jungle mon
ster Is, perhaps, In an ugly mood and
incliued to take revenge on the first
human heing at hand.
One bound and he could overtake
the fleeing men. Yet, 1t is more likely
that the tigers spirit is cowed by long
captivity. and that he, dazed by so
much publicity, refuses to bulge from
his cage. In that case n pistol is fred
near him. and the startled beast emits
n roar as he leaps from his iron prison.
A cry arises from the spectators, and
the spearmen stiffen their lances as he
dashes straight toward them. lie sees
too many lances In front. He stops
suddenly ana thinks it over. Then no
walks sulkily around the square, his
1.-THE body In n partly crouching 10
sition, his tail moving slowly from side
to side. his ears back INT his yellow
eyes ashine with ugly alertness. He
gives Il hideOus snarl, showing his
powerful white teeth. as a handful OF
pebbles are flung at him.
The little brown natives revile the
forest ruler and taunt him. They tell
him he Is not In the jungle now, and
will get his deserts for killing cattle
and eating little children. They en-
treat him to give n sample OF his re.
puted ferOcity. Finally n spearman
reaches forward and gently prlcks
him in the flank. Like a flash the
maddened tiger leaps high In the air
attempts to pass the serried wall, but
lie IN caught on the points OF several
lanccs, and falls back into the quare,
amid the shouts OF the spectators. He
snarls with pain and rage, rolls around
In n whirlwind of black and yellow
stripes, springs across the Enclosure
and makes another try to escape.
Again the lances catch him, and tho
blood flows from many ""unds. He Is
insane with rage and .."hes about.
attacking all sides of the living bar
rler. II Is rarely that he succeeds in
overlapping tho spcarmen. rs q tiger
did once. and landed on the heads of
rearward spectators, who shrieked In
terror and fell over one another, while
the savage beast. made for the open
gate and regained his liberty in the
tropical forest. Generally the wounded
animal falls from exhaustion. and tho
spearmen make an end OF him. Tho
batting goes on until all the tigers arc
killed. The sultan pays high prices
for the animals captured for the ram.
pok."-WiGe World Magazine.