Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-22
Man eCounrO 1t
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between me and that massive head
shrank until I felt that he could have
touched me with his tongue; and the
eyes, which seemed to glow In ever-en-
larging circles, held a hypnotism that
turned me into an agony of rigid flesh.
/ might have awakened Mohammed;
might have cut the nlooring rope and
pushed out into the lagoon: but was
too frightened to release a muscle,
frightened lest the tiger, in one leap,
should fall upon the dhow and rip us
to pieces.
returned. My fingers frightened upon
the gun, forefinger felt the trigger and
] became as steady as pot hunter.
/ cooked both hammers noisele5sly.
drew a bead and fired between the Two
eyes.
A roar and a tremendous splash stun
ned me like the swirl of a tornado, as
from the dhow. Automatically had
reloaded, and again emptied both
barrels into the pit of the mael3trom.
You have no idea of the terror in a
tigers roar. 1t drags out ones blood
by the quart and seems to GiSlocate
every bone in the body. 1t Is volcanic
and immense, utterly devastating to all
that lives, as If ths heavens and earth
had been vronged.
| Before I could reload third time he
had disappeared into the blaclness OF
the jungle in long, padded bounds. ana
/ was left quivering With hair-tricger
I excitement.
Quick, Mchammsdl" yclled, pulling
| upon the rope.
NE, Saaip, mel" AIchc mmcd replied.
He was like prophet who had pcerad
| into hell his son was too terriliel To
| speak, and / realized that it Uas utter
| madness to try to follow the tiger GT
| night. lie might be q mile away by
| now, and he might be only hundred
| yards off, grooming, waiting. We stood
| listening, but could hear no sound.
Passawari, l vas sure, held a badly
/ wounded tiger,
| 1t was impossible to sleep the rest
of the night. We sat up trying TO tai;
| to one another lii excited whispers;
| talking In Bengal. English, Hintlustanl,
understanding nothing each Of US said,
but compelled to express ourselves IL
voice. Over and over again 2Iohamneo
uttered Allah, Allahl" and raised his
hands In suppl!cation. Every gesture
and every wcrd told me that Allah hac
saved my life.
y
WE went ashore with the dawn. Th'
W pug marks In the mud we're a.
large as the palm of my hand; tn
muck near the bank had been raket
away In three long splasheS. But, al
though we followed the prints for
good hundred yards, there was not
sign of blood.
Now, in the light of reason, after hav
ing seen the pstrifying form Of tige
leaping through the air at me. ieare'
to penetrate farther. Mohammed eau
toned me with unmistakable gesture
that 1t was suicide TO do so. The 81.
natives might arrive at any moment
with their knowledge of the jungle an
tbs habits OF tigers. We could fiad h:n
! more quickly and with less danger.
We waited at the rendezvous unit
noon, and then started back to &c
them. could have wrung their pro
crastinating Oriental necks, for hea'
wind kept US from reaching the villag
! until late afternoon. Then it was to
late to return, and the natives were !
! such a high state of excitement that
. was useless to reprimand or ask cues
tons. They sang and yelled and hea
their drums; they hung gariands Q
!. sticky vines around my shoulders, an
even the women and girls were allowe'
!, to come out and fete me. Every mar
, woman and child In the village wa
given to rejoicing over the tiger the
considered to be dead.
At daylight the next morning We ar
rived at the lagoon with nine men. a
Of them loaded down with spears an
drums They spread out fanwise an
began to beat up the jungle. thumpin
their drums and making hideous noiss
t with their mouths. We came upo
! blood stains. and at length saw wher
! the tiger had lain down: but his ira
was eventually lost in rise Of dens
: foliage. and we were forced to pursu
/ | the beating tactics once more.
/ Toward noon 1t became un6earabl
5 hot Eager as was to find my tiger,
was obliged to stop at every pool 9
4 water to battle my head and neck, w
e went through swanps of .all grass this
cut like knives. through growths @