FACING DEATH TWICE. Remarkable Nerve in Time of Great Peril.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 338, 30 January 1889, Page 3

FACING DEATH TWICE. Remarkable Nerve in Time of Great Peril.

Thk beaters had been at work half an hour, when we heard a' cry announcing that the man -eater was making his way toward the plain, hustled somewhat by the volleys of stones, bub'sharpening his claws and growling defiance. In taking up our positions it so happened that Lieutenant Farrington was on my right, in line with the mouth of the guliy arid' not more than twenty feet from my elbow. He had a double-barrelled rifle of heavy calibre, while I had a repeaters In three or four minutes after the cry of warning the tiger appeared in the mouth "of the gully,' head on to' Forrington, and looking him straight in the face. ' Hold- on ! He's my meat !' shouted, theofficer,' as" he "brought* his,* gun, and ib became a^oinfe'of honour Svith the rest of ( us to hold our fire. He took cool ancl careful aim, but "the bullet" simply 'touched the skin between the tiger's ears. 'He dropped like a stone, but was up in an instancy and^ , with aroar;to shake any man's nerves he sprang forward at the lieutenant, In the tenth of a second I turned my eyes from the beast to the officer, dnd what was my horror to see a' serpent twining itself about his leg and rearing its head to a level with his shoulder. I forgot all about - the oncoming 'tiger, and > for the first time in -my -life ,my blood seemed turned tir ice. Fai'ringbon stood with his left foot > ahead - and his right braced, and as the tiger touchedthe ground for his last spring' the rifle spoke again and the beast I'olled over,' with/ a ball through hisbrain. 'Then, while -we all kept our pja'ces , like 'so 'many 'blocks of A stone,* he dropped his trifle,' seized snake just below the head with 'his right' hand and came, walking towards us. The serpent, .writhed and twisted, about- in his ,rage,\and as it uncoiled itself 'from the man's leg he .flung ib thirty feet - away., It was. rushing back at him when one of the party "with a 'shotgun at his 'shoulder" 1 bleV'its head off „'",••'• " ■ ' j'Godd shot;' remarked Farrin'gbon as he walked badk .and picked' up-Bis rifle. !" ' ' . <\Ve ran 'after* hinvahd'~shdok ;hss hand and showered' unstinted' praise oh him' for ;his nerve^bu>. he-would riqf? b,ej a, &eroV " Ib -was the presence of 4h, e serpent which \vas v of { a highly., poisonous species,, which "ha'd^ ! djsturbed/his? flrsb^a£m v i He 'felt > it undgr', Kis.'fo'ob'^aiid/ realised .that its ; bite * , meant; death, but^a" maddened tiger 7 was 1 !him arid lie <Jid not%ife the snake a' second* thoughfer- f .Ti4iea«of IndiaS' ; '- ■" '"r '"- \' ; '