A TIGER'S PLAYTHING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13651, 21 July 1906, Page 14

A TIGER'S PLAYTHING.

Mr C. D. Roberts, in "Around the Camp Fire," tells the following thrilling adventure in India with a tiger:— I once wont out on a hot, dusty plain near the Ganges' to sec what I could shoot. I had sent back my servant to find my match-box, but had no' apprehension!), a's the district was one from which tho tigers had been cleared out some years before. Just as I was musing upon this fact, with a tinge of regret because I had come too late to have a hand in the clearance, I was crushed to the ground by a huge mass, which seemed to have been hurled upon me from behind. My head felt as if it had been dashed with icy or scalding water, and then everything turned black. If I was stunned by the-shook, it was only for an instant, When I opened my oyes I was lying with my face in the sand. Not knowing whore I was or' what had happened, I started to rise, when instantly'a large paw ;umed mc over on my back, and I saw the great yellow-green eyes of a tiger looking down upon me through their narrow black silts.

I did not feci liorror-slrickcn; in fact, so far as I can rememiier, I felt only a dim sense of resignation to the inevitable. I also remember that I noticed with curious interest that the animal looked rather gratified than ferocious.

I don't know how long I lay there, stupidly gazing up into the brute's eyes; but presently I made a movement to sit up, and then I saw that I still held my rifla in my hand. While I was looking at the woapou, with a vague harassing sense that (here was something I ought to do with it, the tiger picked me up by tho left. 9houldev and made oft' with me.

Having carried me perhaps half a mile, tho brute dropped me, and raising her head uttered a peculiar, soft cry. Two cubs appeared at once in answer to the summons, and bounded up to meet her. At the first glimpse of me, however, they sheered off in alarm; and their dam had to coax their/for some minutes, rolling me over softly with her paw, or picking mo up and laying me down in front of them, before she could convince them that I was harmless.

At last the youngsters suffered themselves to ho persuaded. They threw themselves upon mc with eager though not very dangerous ferocity, and began to maul and

I threw off the snarling little animals roughly, and started to crawl away. Instinctively I crept toward a tree, but when I was .within a foot, or two of the tree the tiaar made a great bound, seized me in her jaws, and carried mo hack.

"Why," thought I to myself, "this is just exactly the way a cat plays with a mouse!" At the shock my rifle slipped from my relaxing fingers; but I recovered it, desperately, with a sensation as if I had been falling over a precipice.

I-kncw now what I wanted to - do with it Tho suddenness of my gesture, however, appeared to warn tho tiger that I had yet a littlo too much life in mc. She growled and shook mo roughly.

Again the cubs began mauling me. I repelled thorn gently, at Iho same time looking to my rifle. I saw that there was a cartridge readv to bo projected into tho chamber. I remembered that tho magazine was not more than half oinpty.

I started once more to crawl away, with tlio cubs snarling over mo- aiid trying to hold me; and it was at this point I realised that my left shoulder was broken.

Having crawled four or fivo feet, I let Ihe cubs turn mo about, whereupon I crawled back toward the old tiger, wbo lay Winking and actually purring. It 'wai plain that sho had made a good meal not long before, and was, therefore, in no hurry to despatch me.

Within about, three feet of the Iwast's striped foreshoulder I stopped, and fell over on my side, a? if all but exhausted. My rifle barrel rested on a little tussock. The beast, moved her head to watch me. but evidently considered mo past all possibility of escape, for her eyes rested as much upon her cubs as upon me.

The creatures were tearing- at my logs, but in this supreme momVht I never thought of them. I had now thoroughly retrained my self-control..

Laboriously, very deliberately, T got my sight, and covered a spot right behind the old tigress's foreshoulder, low down.

Just as I was ready, one of the cubs gol in the way, and my heart sank. Tho old tiger gave tho cub a playful cuff, which sent it. rolling to one side. The next instant. I pulled the trigger—and mv heart stood still.

My aim had not wavered a hair's breadth. The sna» of the viflo was mingled with a fierce yel! from tho titer; and the long, barred body straightened itself up into tho air, and fell over almost on top of me.