TREED BY A TIGRESS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2662, 2 June 1908, Page 7

TREED BY A TIGRESS.

UNEXPECTED MEETING ON A JUNCxLE PATHWAY IN INDIA.

I was patrolling the jungle paths between two of my chowkies, accompanied by my jemadar, and on approaching an exceptionally thick patch we were startled by hearing a tiger roar alnjost at our feet. I coughed pretty loudly to let. him know that we were near, but judging by the growls he was disposed to dispute the right of way.

As we were unarmed, swift retreat was the only way to escape the danger. 1 soon found a tree, up .which 1 "shinned" till some twenty feet from the ground, but on looking round for my jemadar I found he was making frantic efforts to climb one, but slipped to the bottom after each endeavour. So J called him to my perch, and had just hauled him up when a fine tigress emerged from the jungle, followed by two small cubs. She passed under our tree and sauntered into the thicket, but reap[>earcd a few minutes later, without the cubs, and remained watching us for some time, apparently considering if it was worth while, to claw us oil our perches. After some embarrassing moments productive of the bluest of funl>s she disappeared, and my jemadar, who had been dumb while the interview lasted, found his voice and gave tongue to the most agonising yells to the rest of our party, who were close behind, to come to our assistance.

No one, however, appeared, and it is well they did not, as the tigress would probably have attacked them. After remaining in the tree for an hour or so we descended and saw no more of our unwelcome visitor.— "Madras Mail."