A SHOOTING INCIDENT IN INDIA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2528, 22 September 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

A SHOOTING INCIDENT IN INDIA.

Four Europeans who had been out after a tiger in the Maimensing , district were, says a Calcutta paper, returning at tlie close of a very long , day, and had almost reached the factory where they were to dine and pass the niefht, when the captain ordered a halt. Tho " line" at once pulled up, and he said, "I hate seeing loaded rifles taken into a house (it was the old muzzle-loadingr days), moro espepecinlly where there are children. I propose that we fire onrs off. ,, "All risrht," said another, " but we have not had n shot all day: what do you say to a 'pool'?" "There's nothinsr to fire at," observed n third. " There's that ghurrah," said the captain, pointing to an earthen vessel which some ryots, who were working at a little distance, hid, us usual, brought their day's aupply of drinking wateY in. "Very jrood," sain , the fourth, " but what with bad lisrht, and the distance, it's by no means an easy shot. I propose we each put n. chicle on." " How shall we decide as to the order of firing ?" said one. "Oh," replied the captain, trenerously, "commence at your end of the line." 'The mark was by no means an easy one to hit, for the distance was well nigh a hundred yards, the (runs smooth-bores, and the light that deceptive kind which one gets just between the dnyliffht nnd dark. But, on tho other band, the hunter* were exceptionally srood men. all excellent: shnta, either of whom ormld hit a rmminsr deer, fiom the back of an elephant, twiea out of three times. " Fire away," said the captain. Nn. 1 grazed the risrht, side of the ves u el, and it was thought mint have hit it. No. 2 wont ju*t over it. No 3 went a little to tho left. "Thank yon. snntlemen," said tlie o.ipt.-iin. "I'M trouble you for those twelve Tnr>ep»." He raided bis jyiti as ho spoke, and the next moment the jar was covered with earth, the bnl'efc had cut tho irronnd beneath it. Presently the vessel wn q open to wriprgle, and then to kink, while a feeble e,rv proclaimed it to bo a baby. Consternation was depicted on every face The elephants bit«od; tho sahibs jumped down and rushed to the soot, the parents runninor from the opposite direction. The little mito hadn't been touched, and was carried off bv the father and mother with great rejoicing. They also took the " pool " along with them, and ri?ht clad the sahibs were, under the circumstance', to part with it.