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THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



A Man-Eating Tiger. 



BY BESSIE L. PUTNAM, CONNEAUT EAKE, 

 PENNSYLVANIA. 



The fiercest tiger of India is not nat- 

 urally a devourer of human flesh, 

 which it never touches unless forced 

 by hunger or close contact ; but having 

 once tasted the delicacy, it absolutely 

 scorns all other food. It may not ac- 

 quire the habit until old age, when 

 poor teeth, with lack of strength and 

 agility, render it unable to catch its 

 usual wild food ; but the habit once 

 acquired is never abandoned. A mis- 

 sionary returned from India tells of 

 one of these man-eating tigers that for 

 many months kept the natives of a 

 large territory in terror, the range of 

 the beast being at least three hundred 

 miles in extent. 



At first it snatched up children at 

 their play. Without warning, it would 

 dash out from some hiding place, hav- 

 ing evidently been watching its victim, 

 and a child would be missing from the 

 group. Then it fell upon the women 

 as they went with their stone jugs to 

 the well just beyong the village. They 

 outwitted it by moving in bands too 

 large for it to feel safe in attacking, or 

 they left water carrying to the men 

 who were armed. 



Next it fell upon the postmen. It 

 was the custom for natives to carry the 

 mail from one town to another on foot. 

 A man would sling it one one end of a 

 pole with several jingling rings at- 

 tached to the other end. Carrying this 

 over his shoulder, he jogged along at 

 a sort of a dog trot, the jingling of the 

 rings announcing his approach. The 

 average "beat" of a carrier was about 

 ten miles, when he was relieved by a 

 mate. 



As much of the route lay through 

 the jungle country, the roadside over- 

 grown with tangled vegetation, it was 

 an easy matter for the "man-eater" to 

 lie in ambush, and to spring out as the 

 carrier passed. Mail carrying soon be- 

 came too dangerous to be popular, and 

 it became almost impossible to hire 

 any one to act as a postman. 



A large band of natives was in the 

 meantime trying to kill the monster, 

 but no matter how carefully the plans 

 were laid, it always managed to es- 

 cape. When the men were sure that 

 they had it in close quarters in a cer- 

 tain locality, it would be reported a 



hundred miles away, and working its 

 old tricks. 



Finally a British professional tiger 

 hunter was secured. After proving the 

 usual tactics useless in the case, he 

 adopted the garb of the mail carrier, 

 slinging the bag and the rings on his 

 gun. He had not jogged far on his 

 beat before the tiger sprang at him ; 

 but the hunter was wary and quick, 

 and the beast was mortally wounded. 

 The joy to the natives was unspeak- 

 able, for they had for months been 

 living in constant dread. How many 

 human victims were secured will never 

 be known. 



Free Instruction in Chemistry. 

 Professor Elton R. Darling, 149 

 Morgan Street, New Bedford, Massa- 

 chusetts, who is a member of The 

 Agassiz Association, offers to assist 

 members who are interested in the 

 study of chemistry. He will inform 

 such students what to obtain in the 

 way of simple apparatus, and give 

 them whatever assistance they may 

 need free of all expense, and each 

 course will be arranged to meet indi- 

 vidual requirements. 



My Creed 



"My creed is work ; to follow duty's call 

 However far it lead across the plains — 

 Through trackless woods, or ringing on the hills ; 

 To seek for pleasure in the realms of toil — 

 Still ever striving for a larger self 

 With which to do a service for the rest. 



"To lay a new path through the unknown way, 

 And leave some heritage e'en though so small 

 No other hand would love or care to leave. 

 Rejoicing ever in my brother's craft, 

 To follow system and the perfect law — 

 Be what I am, and do my very best 

 To lead a life which towers above the hills, 

 And points the way across the plains to God." 



White Poppies. 



The poppies have awakened 

 To lure of sun and breeze, 



And spread their snowy beauty 

 'Neath overarching trees. 



They lift their cups to Heaven, 

 They droop with sudden showers, 



And gleam through dusky shadows, 

 The moonlight of the flowers. 



— Emma Peirce. 



