226 
TIGER. 
reach the animal. He then provided himself with 
a strong rope, one end of which he gave through 
the window to his companions, and with the other, 
having a running noose upon it, he slowly approach- 
ed the tiger, and threw it over its neck. This was 
the critical moment ; the people within were di- 
rected to pull the rope and secure the beast: unfortu- 
nately, the noose slipped off, and the enraged ani- 
mal immediately sprung upon the keeper, fixing his 
teeth into the fleshy part of his arm, and tearing his 
breast and hand in a dreadful manner with his 
claws. In this shocking situation the poor man lay 
under the tiger, while the sergeant cut a bullet into 
four parts ; and having loaded his musket, he fired 
through the window at the animal; who, the moment 
he received the shot, quitted his hold, and after stag- 
gering for a few minutes expired. The bullet, how- 
ever, which destroyed the tiger, had nearly been 
equally fatal to the man, one of the quarters having 
glanced against his temple, and deprived him of all 
sense and motion for a considerable time. Never- 
theless, after keeping his bed a fortnight he gradu- 
ally recovered, and is now perfectly well, though he 
will carry the marks of his enemy about with him 
as long as he lives. 
W e had this account from the keeper during one of 
our visits to Exeter Change in November 1805; and 
that we might not doubt the truth of what he as- 
serted, he offered to send for the sergeant who had 
preserved his life, and who was then living in the 
neighbourhood. 
