The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-02-18
Disturbing a Tigers Bath.

Mounted on elephants, a party OF tigei
hunters had been beating the Indian Jun
gle in vain for hours. Suddenly disturb
ance was noted among the elephant
which seemed to betoken the presence o
a tiger. One OF the party. whose story i
quoted by the Youths Companion, CAV
| certain orders To the Others as TO the di>
position of their elephants. then "ordere'
his mahout to turn into the thick feather!
| foliage to the left IN search OF a pool o
water which he remembered to he there.
| He tells the rest of the story thus:
There was slight descent to long but
narrow hollow about 80 or go yards wide
| This was filled with clear water for an un
known length.
was Just about to make a remark
when, instead of speaking, | grasped the
mahout by the head as | leaned over the
howdah and by this signal stopped the
elephant.
There was remarkable sight. About
l20 yards distant on my left the head and
neck OF large tiger, clean and beautiful,
reposed above the surface of the water,
while the body was cooling. concealed from
view. Here was our. friend enjoying his
quiet bath, while we had been pounding
away up and down the jungles which he
had left.
Fire at him." whispered the mahout
'or you will lose him! He will see us
and be off"
Hold your tongue!" answered. 'He
cant see us, for the sun is at our back
and is shining in his eyes. See how green
they are.
At this moment the tiger quietly rose
from his BATH and sat up on end, like
dog | never saw such sight His
head was beautiful and the eyes shone
like two green electric lights as the suns
rays reflected from them; but his huge
body was dripping with muddy water, as
he had been reclining upon the alluvial
bottom.
For quite a minute the tiger sat up in
the same position At last, as it satisfied
that he was in safety and seclusion, he
once more lay down with only the head
and neck exposed above the surface.
Back the elephant gently, but do not
turn round | whispered. Immediately
The elephant backed through the feathery
,amarisk without the slightest sound, and
we found ourselves outside the Jungle.
We could breathe freely.
our head; then turn to the right. descend
ng through the tamarisk till again
ouch your turban"
| counted the elephants PAGES as he
moved softly parallel with the jungle. until
felt sure of my distance A slight pres
ure upon the mahout's head, and the |
ELEPHANT turned to the right. The -wav-
ng plumes of the dark-green tamarisk d.
ded as we gently moved forward, and in
mother moment we stopped. There was
he tiger in the same position exactly fac
ng me- but now about rs PAGES distant.
keep the elephant quite steady" /
,hispered; and, sitting down upon the
owdah seat, | took a rest with the
fife upon the front bar of the gun-rack.
/ piece of tamarisk kept waving in the
ind Just in front of the rifle. beyond my
each. The mahout leaned forward and
emily bent it down. Now all was clear.
he tigers eyes were like green glass.
he elephant for moment stood like
one | touched the trigger
There was no response to the loud re-
Drt of six drains of powder from the
FIVE, seven. seven" rifle, no splash in
lie unbroken surface of the water. The
gers head was still there. but in diff
rent attitude one-half below the sur
ce, and only one cheek and one large
-e still glttering like an emerald above
Upon examination, it proved that
ere was no hole whatever in that tiger
he bullet having entered the nostril,
oxen the neck, and run along the body,
e animal consequently had never
owed
This tiger, when laid out straight, but
thout being pulled to increase its
1gth, measured exactly nine feet and
int inches from nose to tail.