MY HUNTING ADVENTURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 619, 17 May 1870, Page 3

MY HUNTING ADVENTURE.

BY A RETIRED MAJOR. After several years of service in India, I disposed of my commission and prepared to return to England. On my. way to Bombay, T passed through a village situated in a quiet little valley, about two leagues from the base of the Ghaut Mountains. Here, quite unexpectedly, I met with an old friend, named Wallace, whom I had not seen for ten years. Of course our greetings were of the most cordial nature; and a hundred eager questions were asked and answered on both sides. He had come out to India, partly on business, and partly for pleasure, and was then engaged in the glorious sport of hunt'ng, as he termed it, under the tuition and guidance of an experienced native. He made mo promise to spend a week with him there. We passed the remainder of the day in talking over past events, inquiring after different friends, and getting ready for an early start the next morning into the solitary depths of the great Ghaut range. At the first streak of day we were up ; and in half-an-hour we had finished our breakfasts, had our dinners stowed in our wallets, and rifles in our hand, were sallying forth behind the lead of our Hindoo guide. Joreb, as my friend called this fellow, was a small, light-built man of thirty, slender, supple, and quick, with a rather intelligent face, and a small, keon, black eye, that apparently let nothing escape ifc. He wore a kind of sack of leopard skin, without sleeves, which was belted around his waist and reached to his knees ; nnd this, with a sort of turban for his head, and some coarse shoes for his feet, completed hia attire. To his belt was attached a scimitar, and he also carried a short rifle. Our own weapons were a doublebarrelled rifle each, a brace of pistols, and a large belt-knife. We struck off directly into the forest, towards the mountains ; and, after proceeding for a mile or two through a rather open wood, we came upon a spot where a recent tornado had performed its workof destruction. Soon after this, we struck into a jungle, so dark and dense that I confess I was almost afraid to enter ifc— for besides the dangers that might beset us from wild beasts and serpents, there was a possibility, I thought, of our getting lost and never being able to find our way out. " So far," said I, "I don't see the glorious sport you tell about ; and if we should happen to miss our way here, I fear I never shall." "Don't be alarmed, my friend," said Wallace, with a careless laugh : " Joreb here knows every inch of ground for miles around" " But does he know where every tiger may happen to have his lair ? " " Oh, for that matter, we must risk something, Major." We worked our way into the thick jungle, in a slow and laborious manner, and bad advanced perhaps half a mile, when the guide, who was slowly and carefully picking his way through the thick tangle a few feefc in advance of us, suddenly stopped and held up his hatid in a warning manner, or at least as a caution and silence. We halted at once in our tracks, and stood like statues, awaiting his further instructious. I confess that my heart beat faster, and I perceived my friend's grasp tighten on his rifle, as he slo .vly, cautiously, and silently brought ifc forward, ready for instant use. For nearly a minute the guide stood without motion, his body erect; and his neck stretched upwards, apparently peering at some object not visible from where we stood. At length he lowered his head by a scarcely perceptible motion till

he had- brought his body into a crouching posture ; and then he noiselessly stole back to us. " What is it, Joreb ? " asked my companion in a whisper. " A big serpent, master," answered the guide, who could speak our language almost; as well as his mother tongue. " Where is ifc ? is ifc near us ? " demanded my courageous friend, who looked at the moineiit fis. though he would rather go back than "forward. •-..,;,... "I'll show you, master," "returned^ the native, taking hold of his hand as if to lead him forward. " Is he near us ? is there any danger ? " said Wallace, holding back and glancing at me. <? Aud if there is," said I, feeling a sort of malicious pleasure in repeating his words, " you know we must risk something for your glorious sport." Wallace flushed to the temples and hit his lips; and turning to the guide, I added : " Lead me forward, if you please. Ido not profess to be over courageous ; but I promise not to run till you set the example." "No noise, master," said the guide, motioning me to follow him. I did so, with the utmost caution, till we reached the spot where we had first*stopped, when he silently poiuted up through a little opening among the thick branches to a large spreading, that seemed to be distant between fifty and a hundred yards. "Look," he whispered, "and tell me if, you see him ?" " On the tree ? " I inquired. " Yes, along the branches, but almost hid by the leaves." I looked as directed, keenly and steadily, but afc first could discover nothing that might not belong to the tree itself. There were places, I thought, where some of the lower limbs bulged out rather more than was in keeping with the otherwise symmetrical proportions of the tree; but these, to my mind, were no proofs of any extraneous matter. I was about to turn away, with the remark that I could not perceive anything unusual, when I fancied I saw something move. I lifted my finger as a sign of caution to my friend, who was carefully gliding up to take my place, and looked steadily. I was not mistaken. Something did move on that tree, behind a thick cluster of leaves, and then slowly and gradually the mottled head of a tremendous snake rose into full view, sending a thrill of horror through my whole frame. Then I could understand the bulge of the | limbs, which our more experienced guide had comprehended afc a glance. They were the coils of the monster, which was there waiting for its prey. Slowly, steadily, up rose the broad, hideous head and neck, some two or three feet, the eyes apparently fixed upon some object in the dark jungle below ; and then the neck began to arch, and the head to reach forward and descend, the fiery eyes seemingly growing brighter and more malignant;, and the red, forked tongue playing with lightning rapidity. Suddenly there was a kind of flashing as of light glancing from some whirling object, a rustling sound, shaking of the tree, and an appearance as of the falling of a coil of heavy cable rope. The next instant we were startled by a wild, shrieking roar, and a tremendous floundering among the bushes around the tree upon which I had seen the monstrous serpent. " Gracious heaven I what is it ?" exclaimed Wallace, grasping the arm of the passive guide. " Only a fight between a tiger and an anaconda, master," returned the fellow, as coolly as if it were only a contest between a couple of game-cocks. " But isn't it rather dangerous remaining where we are ? Hadn't we better climb a tree, or move back to a safer distance ?" pursued Wallace. "I must confess," he added, wiping the perspiration from his troubled face, " I have no desire to meet either a tiger or anaconda in such a jungle as this, where one hasn't elbow room to fight, and no chance to dodge; and if the tiger should happen to come off victor, who knows but he may plunge right through here and do us serious damage ?" " No danger, master," rejoined the guide. " The serpent is very large, and if the tiger escapes with life, he will not be in a condition to meet another foe " " What a noise ! " said Wallace, with a slight shudder. The sounds were indeed as terrible as any I ever heard, or ever hope to hear. Growls, snarls, shrieks, roars — sometimes loud and clear, and sometimes, nearly smothered— mingled with a tremendous thrashing about and floundering among the bushes, the tops of which we could see in violent agitation, made to our ears a most horrid din, and betokened the fierceness of the struggle for life and death between these savage natives of the wilderness. The noise lasted for some two or three minutes, but gradually grew fainter towards the end, and finally died out altogether. With rifles cocked and . ready for an instant shot, we waited in anxious suspense some five minutes longer— when, not hearing any further sound, I asked the guide if he thought the battle was over, and if so, which be supposed was the victor. " It may be neither, master," he answered ; " but if it is either, it is the anaconda, or we should have heard the tiger depart with a low growl. If you remain here, I will go forward and see." " For heaven's sake, then, don't be long !" said my friend, rather nervously ; for without you we might never get out of this jungle; and to tell the honest truth, I don't wish to be in it another hour." " Not even to enjoy such glorions sport ?" laughed I. "Glorious sport, indeed ! I tell you what, Major, I've changed my mind about hunting in this barbarous country, and I'll be ready to depart with you to-morrow morning if you like." " Good !" said I — "I am very glad I came with you."

> The guide in the meantime had stealthily disappeared, and in less than five minutes he returned and asked, us to follow him, remarking that the danger was all over. When we reached the place of the late combat, we beheld a sight that almost made the blood curdle in our veius; For a space of ten or twenty feet in diameter, the thick bushes, reeds, and vines were beaten down as if a log had rolled over them ; and almost in the centre of this opening, spotted with blood, lay a sleek tiger, with the crushed head of a huge anaconda in his mouth, and himself, enveloped and crushed to death iv the glistening folds of the monstrous serpent. As our guide bad suggested, neither had been victor, for both had died in ;the.contest— the tiger crushing the head of his foe in his jaws, and the latter in turh crushing and choking him with his expiring strength. " It is sometimes the case that both die in a similar manner," remarked our guide. <• What glorious trophies to carry home to our friends in England 1" said. Wallace enthusiastically... "H would not part with these for a tliousand pounds I" x " I would have given fifty tb have seen the fight 1" said I. With the assistance of Joreb, we skinned both the serpent and beast, and took the prizes back to the village, which we reached a little after noon, and where we were quite lionized for prowess iv conquering two such terrible foes — we having paid our guide well for his share, and bribed him to keep our secret. But we had hunted enough — at least, my friend expressed himself as perfectly satisfied — and so the next day we set off together for Bombay, and thence in due time sailed for England. Though for many years a resident of India, this was my only hunting adventure worthy of particular mention.