Evening Star Newspaper, October 11, 1931, Page 84

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, OCTOBER 11, TO¥. AN ENCOUNTER WITH BLACK LEOPARDS OF BENGAL Pinned Beneath a Wounded Animal the BY B. ]J. TREANOR, T the time the events narrated in this article happened I was in the service of the East India Railway at a piace named Nawadih in the Northern Bengal district. One eve- niny I slepped into the telegraph office for a chat with my friend, Al Lusk, the night station master. We were both inter- ested in huntng the2 big carnivora, which were to be found in the jungles close at hand. While we were discussing the eficiency of the hollow- nosed bullet in stopping the charge of a wounded, and therefore doubly dangerous tiger or leopard, a man from the Baidyanath country entered' the office. T recognized him a3 Bhulna, a shikarri who had accompanied me on a trip I had taken into that section in search of a ‘-blnck leopard pzit. He said: “Sahibs. the cattle men of Baidyanath ate sore distressed, they have worked like slaves to raise caitle in order to support their families and pay the taxes which the government im- poses on the people. Now comes along a saitan in the form of a tizer or leopard and destroys the fruiis of their labor. Which of these it is we have not yet found out. It may be that both kinds of devils are causing destruction among the herds.” “So you wowld like to have us take up the Job of gettinz rid of the cattle-lifters,” Al said. “Yes, Sahib, we would esteem it a great favor to all of our people. We have already #pent many rupecs for material to build in- closures into which we drive our herds every night since the slavginter began. On several nights only young animals we:e taken, a fact that makes us think that a leopard may be one of the killers. At other times the strongest bulls have been dragged off and devoured. Only @& tiger could have done this. I suggested that we both obtain a leave of absence and proceed the next day to the village of Baidyanath with Bhulna. Al fell in with the idea readily. Telling Bhulna to return with his bullock wagon for us the next day we pro- ceeded to put our plan into shape. 'HE next forenoon Bhulna arrived with the bullock wagon We took our Martinj rifles “and a plentiful supply of the kind of ammu- nition we had agreed on. We reached Baild- yanath in the afternoon. All the people of the village turned out to welcome us. It was a cheerful scene. Large earthen pots filled with rice were carried by the women to the different huts to be prepared for the evening meal. I may say here that the Santals are one of the aboriginal tribes of India. They have a lan- guage of their own, but the majority of them profess the Hindu religion. " In front of the head-man'’s dwelling a space was swent and charpoys placed to serve as seats for us. These charpoys are a very useful article in the household arrangements of the Santals, serving the purpose of a seat or a bed. The majority of the huts in the village were con- structed of bamboo and palm leaves. The more pretentious buildings were made of kacka brick, Wwhich means bricks dried in the sun. Pariah dogs were numerous. While waiting for the eool of the evening before setting out for the scene of the cattle-killer's activities we talked with some of the elders of the village. One of them who was evidently a man of considerable gducation, being well versed in the ancient Bbooks, gave us an account of the belief in the transmigration of souls. Speaking in Urdu he said: “Sahibs, we believe that it was written truly by the wise men of olden times that when a man or woman has lived an evil life in this world then the spirit of that person passes into the body of an animal which is an enemy of Juankind. For example, any one who has been of a mean nature, debauched and treacherous, would be a hyena. “On the other hand there are those who while they excelled in deeds which did great harm to their fellowmen, yet had something noble in their natures which did not allow them to stoop to petty things. They were guilty of violence perhaps, but they betrayed not their friends nor committed the small crimes which indicate a mind little and mean. We think that the souls of such people are permitted to animate the tiger and the leopard.” Wishing to acquire further information on fhis abstruse subject, I said: “Guru (teacher), what of the elephant? That Wwise beast is surely not possessed by the spirit of a criminal.” The guru smiled and proceeded to explain the intricacies of the beliefs entertained by the Santals on this important matter, “The elephant is an animal of great under- standing. It is easy to see that the soul which moves that huge body must at one time have been that of a philosopher.” One of the herdsmen then expressed his opinion. His name was Matuli. He had escaped with his life on more than one occasion from the claws of the carnivora. “Sahibs, I have bcen in peril from the striped and spotted devils of the jungles more times than I can remember. I have always thought that the leopard displayed more cun- ning then the tiger. Therefore my belief is that he must be animated by the spirit of a “wnoney lender.” It was now late in the afternoon and a large platter of rice with side dishes of vegetable curry was set before us: There were no forks or spoons, so we ate like the rest of the people —with our fingers. The village metahi wailah (candy merchant), brought us a plentiful supply of candy to serve as dessert. One va- riety of this candy I liked quite well. It was called ledu, and was made of coarse sugar and sour milk. The-children of all ages and sizes ho crowded around were partial to it also. soon as supper had been disposed of the owners of the herds gathered to-discuss the problem of how to get rid of the cattle-killers. oy Hunter Could Not Move The Snarling Face of the Beast Was Before Him and Death Hung Above The Escape. — . He came with a rush. After some talk it was decided to use a couple of young calves as bait. This matter being scttled. Al and I climbed into Bhulna’s bullock wagon. Matuli followed with another wagon containing the calves. TH! distance was about four miles. We found the feeding grounds to be skirted on one side by a stretch of jungle comprised of small trees and underbrush. There was a gully bordered by rocks of quite large size nearby. None of the trees in the vicinity were big enough to bear the weight of a machan (platform). Consequently we were obliged to take our station for the night among the rocks. The calves were tied by the herdsmen to a sapling which would be within our view. They had only lately been removed from their dam and alieady were making enough noise to attract any predatory beast that might be within hearing. That some of those were in the neighborhood we did not doubt. We man- aged to make ourselves comfortable among the rocks. They concealed us effectually from the keen sight of either tiger or leopard. The wagon drivers having taken their departure, there was nothing to do but wait for something to show up. As darkness settled over the scene the eerie sounds of the jungle were heard with an increasing intensity. The almost human cry of the Hoo-loo monkey could be distinguished from all other noises as they swung chattering in the trees preparatory to settling themselves for the night. The jungle owls flew over our heads, giving utterance to a peculiar sound which has a great resemblance to the clucking of a hen disturbed on her nest. Heard by small rodents who are out searching for foods, it has the effect of causing them to scurry to their bur- rows in fear, At irregular intervals the yip-yip of the jackals was borne on the still air. The moon had come up and covered the land with her pale light. The calves were lying down and were quiet for the nonce. We did not dare talk because the murmur of voices has been known to keep a tiger or leopard at a distance® when their near presence was very much de- sired. Then came.one of those periods of silence which are indescribable in word. They can only be felt at night in the jungles when one is waiting for something to appear, one does not know what. The sight of any living thing would be a relief to the intense stillness. Any cessation of the myriad sounds of the jungles means that some of the large carnivora are abroad. The smaller animals sense their approach and cease all activity until the danger has passed. We listened intently, but could hear nothing, only occasionally the drop- ping of the leaves of the trees bordering on the gully as they fell with a slight rustling sound. Then Al clutched my arm: - “Look, a black copard!” Sure enough, it was. That rare species whose pelt is valued very highly by the rajahs and people of wealth throughout India. Stepping stealthily from out the fringe of the jungle, he stood visible in the moonlight. D He was indeed a fine specimen of the leopard family. There and then I decided I would secure the pelt no matter what the hazard might be to myself. Al and I had agreed that only one of us would fire at a time. I took first shot. It must have happened that the beast swerved slightly out of my line of fire, for instead of the bullet taking effect in the head, as I had intended it should, it apparently smashed the beast's shoulder. Instantly he dashed into the sheltew of the underbrush, not se quick but what I could see that he was badly lamed. Al fired almost at the moment the leopard turned, but failed to halt him. When I spoke of my in- tention to follow the wounded beast into the jungle Al tried to dissuade me from such a dangerous attempt. He pointed out that the black leopard when wounded is reputed to be a demon of treachery and fury. However, I had confidence in my ability to track him and decided to follow his trail until it would lead me to where he might be hidden. 1 reasoned that he would not go very far with a bullet in his shoulder. I would, of course, use every precaution possible. Al was to remain and watch for the tiger, which might be attracted by the noise the calves were making. In addition to my rifle I had a revolver, & handy thing to possess when at close quarters with any of the feline tribe. N entering the edge of the grove into which the leopard had disappeared I soon found the trail which showed the direction he had taken. Proceeding with caution, my progress was necessarily slow. Under the trees the light was dim, the greatest care was necessary. I did not underestimate the danger, but treading lightly, endeavoring to see as far as I could through the semi-dankness. It gives one a peculiar feeling to stalk a wounded animal whose sudden onslaugitt might mean certain death or at best serious injury. How- ever, my nerves were quite steady and the spoor was easily followed. I noticed twigs broken off the underbrush here and there, and drops of blood visible on the fallen leaves, under the faint light of the moon shining through the tree tops. Once in a while I came to a space where the darkness was impenetrable. It was when I entered one of these spots that I fancied I could hear the labored breathing of some creature. Advancing with extreme caution, it became apparent that I was close to the leopard. Lecating the sound as well as I could, I emerged from tif¢ darkness into a small clear space, then halted. The wounded beast was lying down, hailf hidden by a clump of elephant-grass. It was very diffi- cult to distinguish with any degree of accuracy his exact position. While I stepped cautiously forward, the brute decided to settle the matter by quick action. He came with a rush. His speed, considering that he had a badly lamed shoulder, was remarkable. In a second I was underneath him, but his effort exhausted his strength. His forelegs lay across my chest, he was breathing spasmodically. His movements as he tried to drag himself off almost crushed me. After many attempts he finally succeeded. Staggering to his feet he turned unsteadily with a look in those yellow eyes which meant death if he could make an attack. My a™w was now fiee and I reached for a revolver which I carried in a holster on my right hip. Lowering his head, the beast lurched forward. His mouth was within a few inches of my face. I felt his hot breath. I fired, the bullet entering his head under the eye. Falling heavily, he lay a few feet from me. I lapsed into unconsciousness and the next thing I remember was hearing Al's voice as he tried to rouse me from my lethargy. After he had poured a generous portion of brandy from his flask down my throat I revived. Al had heard the revolver shot and jndging that I must be at close quarters with the leopard had hurried into the jungle. The tiger we wanted had not bzen attracted to the scene as yet. It was fully a half hour before I could assist Al in the skinning of the big cat. ‘The jmekals were gathering around. With their jungile instinct they had sensed the kill. We thought it best to secure the hide before they ruined it by tearing at the carcass. While we were engaged in this not very pleasant task the jackals with angry yelps scampered off. I remaiked to Al, “There’s something com- ing, you may be sure, or those scavengers wouldn’t have rushed away in such & hurry.” I had no sooner spoken than we heard the long- drawn-out cry of the female leopard calling to her mate. The cry was down wind and being repeated oceasicnally indicated that she was coming at a speedy rate. “AlL” I said, “she is liable to jump in on.us any moment now.” He replied, “I don’t think se, from what knowledge I have of the habits of leopards, one of them will not attack two people unless cornered. In such circumstances they will dare anything through the desperation of fear, I think that she will approach to within & short distance and conceal herself in the cover of the jungle. She will wait for us to leave before venturing near the body of the male.” “Well,” I said, “it might be a good idea to conceal ourselves for a while, she may break cover.” Accordingly we left the clearing and hid in the clump of elephant grass where the male leopard had lain. After waiting for about an hour we began to think that the female had gone off in a different direction. We were on the point of leaving our shelter when Al whise pered: “I can hear a slight noise, something scratching among the leaves.” We stopped and listened intently. After a few tense moments we sensed a stealthy ap- proach. Then we heard the whimpering sound that the female of the cat tribe makes when coming close to the male. Slowly she came out from cover and stood in plain view. I said to Al: “She knows we are here.” As I spoke we left our place of concealment. She paid no attention to us. Flattening' herself to the ground the leopardess crawled on her belly toward the pelt which was 1’'ag near the carcass. Sniffing at it, she gave utterance to that strange whining which heard in the dark lanes of the forest is often mistaken for the cry of a child that is lost. We could not help but admire the graceful creature. It would have been an easy matter to have shot her as she nuzzled the pelt of her mate who would never more roam the jungles in her company. I had a certain sympathy for the poor brute. This prompted me to suggest to Al that we give her a sporting chance for her life. He was of the same mind. so I fired a couple of revolver shots in the air. She did not take the chance we offered. She seemed roused to frenzy. With & vicious snarl she arose to her feet and took a few strides in our direction. We were obliged to act quickly. We both fired, and although our bullets hit her, one in the jaw and the other in the neck, she showed surprising vitality. Rising on her hind legs she pawed the air before she fell over on her side, striking Al a glancing blow with her forepaw as she collapsed. The blow had sufficlent force to stun him and it was 10 minutes or more before he recovered. In India the sun ushers in the full day with his first rays of light. The moment we could see to work we started on the job of flaying the leopardess. While thus engaged Bhuina and Matuli arrived with the wagons. “Wa, wa” (fine, fine), exclaimed Bhulna, “the rajah came to our village after you had left for this place. He wants to see both of you and talk with you. He is a great shikarri himself.” This was good news, for we had heard of the rajah as being a noted hunter and s thoroughly good fellow. On arrival at the vil- lage the rajah greeted us cordially. He was delighted with our success in ridding the vicinity of the leopards. (Copyright, 1981.) HayStacks Closely Estimated. STIMATING the arount of hay in a stack seems, on the face of it, to be largely a matter of guesswork, but Fedgral experts have worked out a method of figuring which has been found to come within 5 per cent of ac- curacy on all occasions. The method is based on the shape of the stack as the deciding factor. An overall meas- urement is taken; that is, from the ground on one side over the top to the ground on the other side. In the case of a round-top stack, for instance, forty-six-hundredths of the width is subtracted from fifty-two-hundredihs of the overall measurement ana this result is multi= plied by the width and length of the stack. With the cubic foot capacity of the stack, it is then a simple matter to divide by the num- ber of cubic feet per ton of the various grains which go into the stack.