The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1908-11-12

DANGEROUS Sport INDUCED an
BY JAVANEsE.
Captured Monarch OF the Jungle
Turned Loose in Public Square
and Worried 10 Death by
Men with Spears.

Tiger-baitlng as practioed by the
Javanese would seem 10 be the most
daring of all sports. II thrills the
blood OF European spectators and some
times makes them wish they could
look on from balloon. The tiger Is
the most ferocious OF the eat family
and the hunting OF him in India is not
conducted without an elaborate outft
| 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 "rampok" II
takes place in the palace Enclosure OF
the native sultans. The inclosure Is
mile square and has walls IA feet
high and about as thick, but the bait.
ing is held in a 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
faces the center OF the square, where
eight or ten cages. each containing
tiger, are placed.
Thousands OF spearmen, armed with
sharp pointed lances, march up and
surround the square. Behind the spear
men are native spectators. II Is a
thrilling moment when the sultan
gives signal for the sport 10 begin.
Two unarmed men approach one OF
the cages, pull up the trap door and
take TO their heels. They have a Job
OF doubtful honor The jungle mon.
ster is, perhaps. in an ugly mood and
inclined to take revenge on the first
human heing at hand
One bound and he could overtake
the fleeing men. Yet, II Is more likely
that the tigers spirit is cowed by long
captivity, and that he, dazed by SC
much publicity, refuses to bulge from
his cage In that case a pistol is nret
near him. and the startled beast emlti
a roar as he leaps from his iron prison
A cry arises from the spectators. ant
the spearmen stiffen their lances as h,
dashes straight toward them. lie see
too many lances In front He stop
suddenly and thinks II over Then h,
walks sulkily around the square, hi
1.-THE body in a partly crouching pc
sition, his tail moving slowly from sid,
to side, his ears back and his yellow
eyes ashine with ugly alertness. III
gives IA hideous snarl, showing HI
powerful white teeth. as a handful O
pebbles are flung at him
The little brown natives revile tn
, forest ruler and taunt him. They to-
him he is not in the Jungle now, an
will get his deserts for killing eattl
and eating little children. They 81
y treat him to give a sample Of his r,
puted feroclty. Finally spearma
n reaches forward and gently prick
him In the flank. Like a flash IN
maddened tiger leaps high In the al
3 attempts to pass the serried wall, bt
/ he is caught on the points OF sewers
Il lances. and falls back into the squar
p amid the shouts OF the spectators. II
D. snarls with pain and rage, rolls aroun
d in a whirlwind of black and yello
e stripes. springs across the inclosu
t and makes another try TO escap
Again the lances catch him. and Il
" blood flows from many wounds. He
r insane with rage and dPshes abou
attacking all sides Of the living GA
rier II is rarely that he succeeds
a overlapping the spearmen. as tlg,
did once. and landed on the heads
o rearward spectators, who shrieked
k terror and fell over one another. viii
d the savage beast made for the ope
q gate and regained his liberty I'm II
tropical forest Generally the woundt
e animal falls from exhaustion. and Il
spearmen make an end OF him. I'll
n batting goes on until all the tigers al
1t killed. The sultan pays high prlc,
r for the animals captured for tho "rar
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