The Monmouth inquirer., 1922-09-14
powgR d rAE AuMAN gys-
Animals upon Whieh 4 Is Safest 70
Make Experiments


It is a popular belief. more or less
loosely formulated, that there is some
thing SO terrible and majestic in the
human eye that man has only to Tx
his gaze on the most terrific denizens
of the forest to inspire them with
awe. Numerous instances, and some
well authenticated, are on record OF
unarmed men, who have met the lion
or the tiger in his native 1ungles.
fixed their eyes on his and compelled
him to turn tail
There is, then, some foundation for
the popular belief, but ii a man hav-
ing unquestioned faith in the awe in
spring power of the human eye pro-
poses to put 1t to the test in his own
person. considerable discretion is to be
recommended, says Forest and
Stream, not only in the selection OF
his beast. but also in the selection
OF his locality For example, he
should not make his first experiment
with rampageous bull in ten-acre
Enclosure at any considerable dis
tance from the fence; nor would we
strongly recommended trip to the
Rocky Mountains. with the object OF
experimenting with full grown griz-
ely, for both bulls and bears are fight
ing animals, and have the habit OF
meeting their foes face 10 face.
The measure is successful only with
the cat family-lions, tigers, etc, and
by no means relied upon with them.
Hope of success depends upon the fact
that the members of the cat family
are not to any extent fighting ami
mails; they do not hunt in packs ana
quarrel over their prey; they very
rarely quarrel with each other over
the females at mating season, and in
striking their prey they never attack
In front.
1t is a beautiful provision of nature
that the lion, the tiger, the panther,
the leopards and the whole family OF
Felidae, are prompted by irresistible
instinct to seize their prey from behind,
springing on 1t with their whole
weight. closing their powerful jaws
on the neck of their victim, and dislo-
eating it with one wrench, while their
fierce claws penetrate the flesh and
paralyze the muscular sewers. The
tiger pursues the same method, Wheth-
er his prey is full grown buffalo
or timid fawn.
The slender doe, with her fawn at
her heels, goes into cover for her
midday 5iesta, and confronts the lurk-
ing tiger; she barks. stamps her foot
and endeavors to bounce him; the
tiger fixing his eyes on hers, crawls
little nearer; paralyzed with terror
the poor beast is incapable of flight,
hut unable to sustain the basilisk
glance any longer. she turns, as II
to essay retreat At that instant the
tiger springs, grasps her neck in his
viselike jaws, and the victim dies
without a pang.
If the tiger comes unexpectedly on
powerful animal like wild buffalo
and 1t offers battle. the tiger declines
it, but If hungry he will take advan-
tage of what cover there is and ma
noeuvre to get at the tail end Of the
buffalo and then make his fatal spring.
With civilized men the tiger is
more wary, for he stands In more awe
Of their appliances than of the brute
strength of the buffalo Many hum
ter going through the jungles has
passed within an easy spring of the
tiger lying in wait for him, and be-
foxa ho hos <ro~a onofhar 0nA xxordr
the same tiger has again been in posi-
tion, and yet has wanted the courage
to spring; even a man-eating tiger,
II familiar with firearms, might hest
tate to spring on a man that had the
courage to confront him.
In the jungle he would not attempt
it; If brought face to- face with man
he would crouch. and if the man did
not turn to flee the tiger would disap-
pear as suddenly as IL the earth had
swallowed him, but in a very few
minutes he would have secured the de-
sired vantage ground and made his
fatal spring.
This is not because the tiger is o
coward, nor because the human eye
is capable of dominating him. When
It becomes a question of fighting there
Is no sign of quailing in lion or tiger,
but when 1t is a mere question OF taxi
ing their prey the destructive instinct
is a purely pleasurable one. the en-
joyment of which would be marred
if they attacked. in front. and pro-
voked their prey to battle; and it is
a merciful provision OF nature that
they show no such tendency.