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KIILLING A MAN-EATER.

J That Charlie Wallace, of the Forty-Second ■* 8.N.1., was in the dumps was evident. An r official letter lay open before him. And thus it ran s ‘Sin,—l have the honour to inform you ; that I have placed your name on the list of applicants for the vacant post in the Wasto ’ Paper Office. As you are one of two hundred I ami eighteen candidates, I feel it right to warn you against harbouring any very sunJ guine hopes of success.—l'ours faithfully, ' ‘ John Levi no..’ Such was the answer to his twentieth appli- • cation for a post in that department of tho ’ Indian Civil Service. And he had nothing but ; his lieutenant’s pay to dopend on, nor any ; prospects worth mentioning ; and ho was , head over cars—not in debt—but in love with Lucy Campbell, the only child of the collector of Bungaroeopootur, the place where the regi- . ment was then stationed. llis meditations wero suddenly cut short by 1 the cheery voice oi his bosom friend, Captain Finch. ‘ Why, Charlie, what tho dickens ails you, that you"vo cut mess these last three days?” ‘ Oh, I’m a trifle out of sorts—nothing much,’ replied his friend. ‘Any news r’ I Only that tho man-eater has been making a meal of another poat-runnor ’ ‘ Why, that’s the sixth within tho last nine months,’ broke in Charlie Wallace. ‘ 1 believe you, my boy,’ replied his friend ; 1 and Collector Campbell has offered a reward of threo thousand rupees for said man-eater's skin. And high time, too !’ ‘ Where did it happen ?’ enquired Wallace. ‘ Why, about ten miles nor’-east of this place—just where tho road dives into tho Serawat jungle after crossing tho gully. They found the poor fellow’s letter-bag and his bells lying in the bed of the gully.’ ‘ It seems as if those bolls, instead of scaring the brute, as intended, acted as a signal to him to make ready to pounce on his prey.’ ‘ True for you, friend Charlie.’ I I should dearly liko to have a shot at tho brute.’ I No go, my boy! Ho’s too leery. Grant and Spurling have both been on his track; but they couldn’t evou catch sight of tho tip of his tail.’ After a few minutes’ moro chat about things in general, the captain left the bungalow ; and Charlie Wallace forthwith shouted to the boy in the verandah outside—- ‘ Where’s Murrcem Ali?’ This was his factotum—a native of the lowest caste, but faithful as a mastiff. 1 Gone to bazaar, sahoeb,’ replied tho lad. ‘ Then you go and buy mo half a dozen small bells such as the post runners carry on their sticks,’ said his master, flinging him a couplo of rupees. ‘And bo quick about it.’ Ali socn made his appearance, with tho boy at liis heels. When he was within earshot his master called out—--1 That brute of a tiger has killed another mail-carrier, and now I'm minded to put a bullet through his hido,’ ‘ Pardon, saheeb. 11c no tiger, ho devil!’ said Ali. ‘ Saheeb no shoot him. lie eat saheeb!’ ‘ We shall see about that/ replied tho lieutenant. ‘Aie you man enough to como along with me and chance it?’ ‘lf saheeb go, Ali go with him, and deviltiger eat both,’ replied the native, calmly. ‘ Well, then, just got me a red coat such as the mail-carriers wear, and we’ll bo off at once.’ The native took tho purse which his master held out to him, and retraced his stops toward the bazaar, thinking his master stark mad When he returned with tho red coat he found tho lieutenant transformed into a fair imitation of a native by tho aid of burnt cork 'I he lieutenant donned the coat, loaded his pistols, thrust them into his belt, and handed tho gun to his servant. Tho rifle he fhouldorcd himself. The two then stole out of the bungalow by tho back door, and gained tho high road by an unfrequented path, toavoid attracting attention needlossly— always a wise precaution when ono goes out for wool at die risk of coming home shorn. For some four or five miles thoir road lay through open fields sown with maize and cotton. Then they dived into the jungle. Her- the lieutenant hade Ali fall behind and trotted on ahead by himself, lest tho tiger should ‘ smell a rat.’ So on he jogged alone, hoping—though not without a qualm or two that the beast would mistake him for a post-runner and show himself. To 1 his end J lie tied the hells in a bunch to his girdle, and j a prefly jingle they made as 1m sped onwar I. Anon hi p ! u;iged into a wood of lofty trees, w.iero the underlying brushwood grew thick enough to harbour a hundred tigers within easy reach ot him. The thought made him blanch a bit; but nevertheless he pushed on till he reached the very spot where the maneater had made his last meal of human flesh. 1 here could bo no doubt of it. for traces of the poor fellow’s blood wore still to bo seen on the white pebbles in the bed of what, during tho rainy season, became a foaming torrent. Here Charlie Wallace halted, with his rifle at full cock in his right hand, and gazed around him. Naught stirred. All was silent as the grave—oppressively silent. Ali! what roiso was that which ho heard behind him ? Tho footsteps of his servant? Impossible! Ali must still be half a mile behind him. As this thought flashed through his mind he faced round just in time to see a pair of gleaming eyes glaring at him from tho brushwood. Quick as lightning ho raised his rifle and fired. A wild howl answered the report, and a huge tiger rolled down into the gully, where it lay for a moment as if stunned. But it quickly recovered itself, and crouched to spring on it. assailant. Had Wallace wavered lor hall a second he must have shared the fate of tho luckless runner. But he whipped out his pistol and discharged it pointblu.uk in the animal’s face. One of tho slugs entered its eye and pierced the brain, and tho ruthless creature foil seemingly lifeless at his feet-; then ho know that it must actually have made its spring when he fired.

With his second pistol in his hand he sat down on tho brink of the gully and mopped the moisture from his dripping brows. Meanwhile ho kept his eye fixed upon the enemy, half expecting to see it rise and renew tne attack. But there it lay quite motionless, and was indeed stone dead. He bad ample time to admire tho beauty of its sleek coat before Ali made his appearance. 1 What a marvel!’ exclaimed that worthy, almost breathless with wonder and admiration. ‘ Heaven has at last enabled saheeb to shoot the devil!’ - ‘The question now is, what are we to do with the devil, a 3 you call him r said hia master. ‘Can we get a bullock-cart hereabouts f ’ ‘Surely!’ replied Ali. ‘At tho noxt villiage—not a mile off—where every bullockcart and bullock will be proudly at the beck of the saheeb who has destroyed the devil!’ About half an hour later a loud shouting proclaimed the approach of the vehicle and half the village. As the noisy crowd drew near, one old man rushod forward, and, grovelling at the lieutenant’s feet, exclaimed —

‘ Oh, rny lord, my lord, hast thou ve;ily destroyed the devil that devoured my brother’s son ?'

Meanwhilo the villagers crowded round tho carcase of their fallen foe, and kickod and spat upon it to their heart’s content. When they were within two miles of tho lieutenant’s headquarters, they were overtaken by a stout gentleman riding a powerful and spirited horse. lieining it in alongside the cart, where sat tho lieutenant beside the tiger, ho asked — ‘ What’s tho matter p’

Wallace modestly explained, to the best of his ability, amidst all that din of tomtoms, horns and human voices.

The horseman looked puzzled for a moment Then he said—

‘ But you’re not a post-runner.’ At this moment up rode throe other horsemen. He turned to one of them and whispered something which Wallace failed to catch. He then rode off, followed by the two other horsemen.

Tho one to whom he had spoken accompanied tho procession, chatting to the amateur post-runner, till tho cart stopped at the door of Wallace’s bungalow. There he abruptly said, ‘Ah revoir, Lieutenant Wallace,’ and rode off.

‘ What on earth does ho mean with his “ au revoir”’ muttered tho tiger-queller, as he ontered his ‘ diggings.’ 1 And how the dickens docs lie know my name and grade r’ die had failed to observe the diplomatic art with which tho horsoman had pumped him during their chat. Scarcely had tho tiger-hunter doffed his red coat, washed olf his war paint, and donned his ordinary ‘ togs,’ when his boy caino in with a note, which ran—- ‘ Tho Govornor-Genoral begs mo to invite you to dine with him at my house. Come just as you are.—Yours sincerely, ‘ Hector Cam pi: ell. ‘ Dinnor at eight sharp.’

So the frank, plain-spoken horseman who first accosted him was no less a person than tho Vicoroy of India, tho universally beloved and respected Lord Mayo, who—like Mr Gladstone—went liore, there, and everywhere, finding out things for himself, instead ol trusting to hearsay. Next morning, as ho sat at breakfast, Charlie roceived a noto addressed to him in a peculiarly bold hand. Ho hastily tore it open and read—

‘Sir,—l have the honour to inform you that I have placed your name on the list of applicants for tho vacant post in the General Supervision Department. But as your name hoaus the list, you may chance to find this announcement somewhat better than waste paper. Wishing you heartily every success, I am, ‘ Very faithfully yours, Mayo. Up he jumped, snatched his hat, and rushod off at tho top of his speed to Collector Campbell’s bungalow, to pour out his thanks to tho Governor-General. But he found tho bird flown. There was someone, howover, to receive him ; someone in whoso bright eyes the kind-hearted nobleman had road a certain talo of true lovo ; whose course ho forthwith resolved to smooth as far as in him lay. And ho succoodod so well that, when a twelvemonth later Collector Campbell, retirod, sailod with his wifo for England, they left Lucy behind them. Only sho bad changed her namo for old Scotland’s darling boro.— Hell’s Weekly Messenger.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZMAIL18960528.2.164

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1265, 28 May 1896, Page 40

Word Count
1,763

KIILLING A MAN-EATER. New Zealand Mail, Issue 1265, 28 May 1896, Page 40

KIILLING A MAN-EATER. New Zealand Mail, Issue 1265, 28 May 1896, Page 40