Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-06-12

seemed understand for the sound aia opened out
her like fans and quickened her pace and could
hear the big elephant gathering speed behind her An
other minute and Chao Chahng acting if he were
beyond all control of his naout rushed past us and
lost view among the trees ahead
Suspecting the cause OF the trumpeting, | told my
mahout keep close after Chao Chahng he could
and hurried along until making cutoff from the
path in view of of the river, and the mahout
bringing Iala to sudden halt. pointed with his hand
upon the pool Above the surface the opposite
bank the black-and- yellow head of swimming
tiger the rppes Of his wake widening back to the low
wooded shore while after him into the water the
three elephants, with their mahouts urging them
They had discovered the tiger crossing the river, and
knowing that in the water he was helpless to attack
plants at him The tiger, realizing his disadvantage,
swimming fast for the eastern bank, with excellent
prospects, as tar as we could OF making safely,
for Lala OF against him, and Chao ChaIng,
who might possibly have headed him off in the water,
had away.
With my rifle useless and believing that Lala would
bolt the tiger touched the Shore think
ing of following the big elephants example, when
heard him coming back. He had been running,
from fear but to search place where he could get
down to the water without breaking his neck and now
bank In line with the in which the tiger
swimming He advanced, testing his footing until the
dirt at the edge, crurnbling under his feet began to
rattle down to the water then stretching both fore legs
straight before him. he curved his big body the
brink, and went sliding down the slope The tiger
ing him coming turned back toward the middle of the
The bank fell fifty down the water and was
very steep, and how Chao Chahng avoided turning
ersault two the way is a mystery but somehow he
kept right side up and with Pahm hanging desperately
to the girh to himself from dropping his head
he plunged into the water. From fountain of mud
and spray his trunk emerged and then the top of his
back, moving out into the river with the mahout climb
n mig to as place eo oh the neck Like monor run
channel, and, gaming his footing the shaower
beyond he doomed up, confronting the tiger, which
turned and swan to great boulder that three
feet above the waters surface and scrambled upon
Here he bristed and roared, while the four elephants
came up and lined themselves around him. At
nand the maou turned Lala back toward the cataract
and tordg the river there forced her into the pool
above the other elephants where she took position
from which could see all that on.
Had my rifle been in working order, could have
settled matters with the tiger where he stood, for
hunter could have asked for shot than he pre-
sened With my rifle disabled the situation was quite
another thing On the rock the tiger stood level with
the shoulders of the elephants and for them c close in
upon him where his spring would land him squarey
upon the nearest ones head much expect of
elephants or mahouts From a safe distance away they
trumpeted and threatened him with their trunks but
nearer, while the tiger facing and another
in turn made feints of sprngng upon each but refused
to quit the rock. Even Chao Chahng, who plainly was
there for business with the tiger, disposed with
the scratches still fresh his back give him sec
the tigef that l could the line of
snged hair along his head where the frebrand had
struck when he tried to the the camp
few nights before.
After half-hour of waiting with nothing gained
was debating with myself whether reraft would be
likely dSodge the tiger than TO stampede the
elephants, when the muddy grew turbd and
could see that it was rising round the rock rainfall
somewhere up the river the cause of the change
which might indicate triflng rise sweeping freshe
The elephants already quite deep in the pool and
II the water kept rising certain that they would
not stay until 1T was high enough to force the tiger
from the rock In five minutes, however the had
risen foot, and the elephants looking anx-
iously from the tiger to where the rapids be-
ginning to roar with the coming food Every tropical
beast stands in supreme dread of inundaton and
tiger turned from his besiegers to sniff and grow in
new key as the of the cataract grew louder and the
rising water washed up against his paws. With the
stream surging against their shoulders, the elephants
shifted about in their tracks to face the current,
and the mahouts had to keep up continual shouting,
and work their greaoes vigorously against the backs
OF the tapping to prevent the uneasy animals from
returning 10 the shore. Only Chao Chahng held his
ground, facing the tiger, while Lala shutting round
easily seemed undecided whether her safer
were to remain under his protection to take to her
heels
Something drfted past me toward the -ocl-a great
teak log that the rising water had brought down from
somewhere upstream As it scraped along the rock the
tiger several times seemed the point of stepping upon
ing he glded upon it The heavy log, floating deep in
the water, sank lower beneath his weight as crawling
to the middle of it, he borne from the rock While
the other mahouts vainy tried TO force Their elephants
to the log, Chao Chalng at Prahims word pushed
swiftly forward upon the tiger who balancing himself
upon his unsteady support, could move only forward
backward. AT sight of the tusks and appraised trunk
above him. the tiger turning with whine of fear crept
place on the rock But Chao Chahng following his
movements, struck him sweeping side blow with his
trunk that sent him flying into the water. The other
the Shore and Lala boted after them caught one
glimpse OF the big elephant rushing upon the tiger strug
CLING at the surface ana after at while ala TOOK the
rocks and holes the bottom kept too busy hold
ing myself by the ropes the pad to my head until
we were at the shore Then, looking back, saw the
water swirling over the rock and above the surface only
the floating log, and Chao Chahng stalking shoreward
through the flood with the air of having just discovered
that the river rising
We made ways down the shore to the camp where
the men, on learning that the nlan-eater was killed, built
bonres in rejoicing and to the accompaniment of fute
and pipe sang songs FOR half the night in celebration OF
Chao Chahng and his victory over the tiger The river
rose five feet in hour and when it had subsidized next
day the tigers BODY was found mile below the pool
stranded on bar 1t had been too long in the water
for the skin to be worth saving but wore of his
claws my watch-glard at Rahang the Fourth OF
July which day found camp there, with all the logs
in boom, ready for rafting