SIR ARTHUR HEWITT’S EXPERIENCE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4296, 4 March 1901, Page 7

SIR ARTHUR HEWITT’S EXPERIENCE

Sir Arthur Hewitt, a tall, thin, soldierly figure, with a face darkened hy close application of the razor, loomed the giant of the group we formed. ‘•'.Sir Arthur,” said the .Major, “was onco a piece of live bajt in a tiger trap.’ After an introduction like that Sir Art hurts story had to he told.

‘Tt happened in Birmania,” lie began, “between Proms and Rangoon. The country was ravaged at that time by the predatory hands of Nnng Gung Gee. the fiercest native chief we ever had to contend with. I headed a scouting party, and. being overtaken by night .at some distance from camp, we lighted fires and lav down to sleep. Some hours later I felt myself lifted hodilv from the ground. I had been bound and gagged, and in a short time was a prisoner in the stronghold of Gung himself. “Hie next morning they brought me before Gung. The moment he saw mo lie leered hideously- " -At last,’ said he, ‘here is one of those English who are invading our country ami would reduce us to slavery.’

"Gung’--* followers now blindfolded me. I was thus forced some five miles through the iungle and beaten with sticks aU the way!’ 'Einaliy they came to a. halt. The bandage was removed from my cyos. Growing accustomed to the light, I discovered a tiger trap ahead. I did not immediately com prebend the purpose of mv captors. But my uncertainty did not last long.

“The tiger trap was constructed of bamboo. One section of it was cut off from the rest by a net-work of bamboo rods. This formed the receptacle for -the bait. Tin* bait was, myself. , They stripped me of Any clothing," thnist me in and bound me with thongs. Then they made off- , “1 did not feel very uneasy at first. For two hours I worked for freedom, hut in the end I was forced to admit _ the hopelessness of the task. Insects alighted on my skin and hit the flesh raw. The sun heat down on mv head, and into mv eyes. I grew faint. Suddenly it occurred to me that A TIGER MIGHT APPEAR at any moment. However, there was some hope, although the hope was slender. A little native girl had, at the risk of her life, given me a drink ot water the day before. This was at a spot near Gung’s camp. I bade her hurry off and apprise Captain D’Oyley of my peril. But as the hours wore on I gicw despondent. Would the little girl have understood ?

“My reflections were interrupted by a light footfall. It was for all the world like that of a timid child. When the-sound first reached my ears no suspicion of tigers entered my head. Suddenly a gorgeous shoulder flashed its stripes through the bamboo. One of the largest tigers I had ever seen—and I had seen many —confronted me. The animal must have weighed 500 pounds. From my observation at the time llie creature’s length ivas nine feet. It was a. well-fed tigen broad in the shoulder. The muscles stood out all over her limbs! As wo gazed into each other’s face I was overcome with a. peculiar feeling of respect for this specimen of physical perfection . 1

“It flashed across my mind that this might not be a man-eating tiger, in that event it would sniff about the trap and do mo no harm. One giganic pan; was raised against the outer door of the trap. The door lifted and fell. : .'he tiger was caught. Only a bamboo paling separated us. The bulky mass advanced toward me. Then the animal stood perfectly motionless. , “My whole body had turned cold, except where the insects left their .sting 3. Those raw spots glowed like so many t inj J coals. I stared straight into the tiger’s face, not daring to wink an eyelid. I felt that the first movement should come from the enemy. It did. With a roar the tiger dashed his whole weight against the bamboo rods. The great claws were thrust through and barely reached me. The tips of them scratched three long streaks in my side. A red tongue was stretched greedily through the bars; There was no doubt now. This was a man-eating tiger.

‘The peril gave me inconceivable strength. I tried to burst my bonds. But I suddenly recollected that bunting my bonds would do me little good. I was in a trap, like my enemy. I grasped the outer bars of the cage. I drew myself together. The animal almost hold me. In another moment my portion of the trap would be invaded. “Suddenly I saw a glimmer of lights. A confused sound, of voices reached me. They were coining nearer. I heard my nanic'pronounced. They were calling me. My VOICE REFUSED TO ISSUE from my throat. But I knew in that instant that ; the little girl had given the alarm. lam glad to recall that my first impulse was one of gratitude to her. “My rescuers dared not shoot the tiger! Gung was in the neighbourhood. His bands .would have massacred our little company in a moment.. It was necessary to attack the tiger with bayonets. It seemed every instant as if the trap would give way under the strain of the leaps of the beast. It took almost an hour to effect my rescue. It is strange that the tiger, harassed on all sides, did not torn and kill me with a stroke of its paw. But the animal lost blood from a hundred wounds. It succumbed. They saved me." The listeners in the smoking room ox-: changed looks. “The astonishing part of it,” said the Maior, “is the conduct of the little girl.” “The astonishing part of it,” said Sir Arthur, “is that I did not go mad.”