ADVENTURE WITH A TIGER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 166, 16 July 1898, Page 3 (Supplement)

ADVENTURE WITH A TIGER.

The recent death In a western colony of the negro Gomez at the.olawsofa The* understanding-or misunderstand-ing-was arrived at by means of gesJures and dumb show. The Cossack and Se lion tam.r had no other language, in common, and the latter was satisfied .that he had made himself understood to his employee. The next morning the Cossack went to work with bucket sponge, and broom-not at tha cageof a tame beast, as his master had done but of a splendid untamed tiger W S lay asleep on the floor. The.fierce beast roused by the entrance of the man fixed his eyes upon him. The man however taking no notice, proceeded to wet a' large sponge and unconcernedly approach the tiger. At this moment Fezoii appeared upon the scene, and was naturally horrified at the situation. He dare not move for fear of enraging the beast, so waited quietly till need should aTise for him to rush to the man's assistance.

Oddly enough, • the occasion failed to arise. The Cossack, sponge in hand, set to work to wash—not the cage, but the tiger himself. What the tiger, thought is not recorded. He rolled over on his back as charmingly as a kitten, purring constantly, while the Cossack continued to wash him as complacently as a mother bathes her infant. When he left the cage Pezon had his work cut out to convince him that.he was not to go and do likewise with the. rest of the

tigers. Man and beast were almost equally savage, and except on the principle that dog won't eat dog it is hard to account for the behaviour of the tiger.