CYCLIST VERSUS TIGER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 359, 9 April 1910, Page 10

CYCLIST VERSUS TIGER.

A TRUE STORY. Of late years quite a number of attempts have been made to walk round the world. In the majority of cases the task has been undertaken with a view to winning a wager, and the intrepid pedestrians have told many stories regarding the perils of their journeys afoot through foreign lands. It is doubtful, however, if any of these globe-trotters experienced such thriling -adventures as those which befell M. Henri Gilbert, who started from Paris in 1893 on a walking tour round the world with a view to achieving a record. In China he was very nearly killed by a mob. But it was while passing through India that he met with his most nerve-racking adventure.

He arrived at a place called Nagpoor. and explored some of the surrounding country in company with a scientist who was engaged in research work there. During the aav they came to a small village, at which an English party had also arrived, one of the members of which had a bicycle with him. Gilbert asked permission of the owner to go for an hour or two's ride, it being over two years since he had mounted a machine. This was given, and in spite of the warnings of the scientist, who had heard that there were many tigers in the district, Gilbert started off. AN AWAKENING SHOCK. After riding a few miles he lay down in an open glade to rest, placing his bicycle against a bush. Ultimately he fell asleep, from which he was awakened by a curious sound in the bed of a small watercourse which was directly in front rif him. The story may be told in Gilbert's own words. "I lifted my head drowsily," he says, "and, looking towards the sport, my gaze rested upon the fierce and wicked head and long, lithe, striped body of an immense, tiger. I should judge that he was about thirty yards from me.

"Whether he detected my presence I cannot say, but he remained motionless for some time. It seemed absolutely impossible for me to think of escaping by means of the bicycle, for it was at least twenty yards from me; and how could I possibly reach it and make my way to the high road without attracting the attention of the terrible animal, who in two or three bounds would be upon me? DISCOVERED. "Presently I saw him drop his head and begin to lap the water. As he raised his head again *1 knew that one single false movement on my part must inevitably attract his notice. Following every movement of the huge monster with terrible anxiety, I was at length relieved to see him apparently about to return into the jungle from whence he had come; but, alas! some little bird moved in the bushes around me, and the effect was instantaneous. The tiger stopped suddenly and wheeled round like lightning, his great eyes fixed intently upon the very spot where I lay. "He paused for a moment, and t'hen, to my indescribable horror, commenced to creep slowly in my direction. Presently he iQ-ot so close that I was only able to. distinguish his movements by the crackling of the leaves and twigs as he crept along. I now felt that mv case was qiute hopeless. 'Nothing.' T said to myself, despairingly, 'can save me from a dreadfiil death.' And yet—so quickly does the brain work in such eases—only a mere fraction of time after these despairing thoughts, I conceived the desperate idea of making a dash for the bievcle!

"THE INEXORABLE MONSTER." "Leaping to my feet, I fairly hurled myself in the direction of the bicycle. I threw myself upon it, and with the impetus so gained began to glide swiftly along—even before my feet touched the pedals—literally racing the tiger for dear life. The very instant I got fairly under way I heard the huge beast make his first leap in my direction. •m* fourth leap of the tiger brought him within about six yards of my back wheel, and although I was going as fast as a first-class bicycle can travel, a sixth leap almost brought the claws of the monster within striking distance of my back tyre. But still I pedalled away desperately. "Just at this moment I saw in front of me another straight road opening before me. You may judge my terror, however, when I tell you that* as soon as I had turned into this new road I beheld, lying l'ight across my path, a huge tree that had fallen through decay. I charged the object headlong, and, just before crashing into it I leapt from the machine and scrambled over recklesly, feeling certain that the tiger was gaining, it goes without saying that I literally threw myself into the saddle again .with frantic energy, and pedalled away from the inexorable monster. I heard the tiger leap over the fallen tree, and, sick at heart, I realised that if the chase lasted much longer I should have to give up., ° "Greatly to my relief, however, a short distance in front on my left I sawyet another road, and ia ray of hope came to me as I noticed a steep descent. This I entered upon like an arrow, and a minute or so later put fifty or sixty yards between my pursuer and myself. •I was pretty well done for, however—so much so, that at one time I felt 1 must fall out of the saddle.

"A little further along I looked round, but the tiger was nowhere to he seen; he had given up the chase. "Then another fearful thought struck me. Evidently I bad lost my way altogether, and I reflected helplessly upon my condition in the event of my being benighted, situated as I then was, in that tiger-infested wilderness. "But luckily, just when I had almost given up all hope of finding my way, a Hindu woman appeared on the road* t-u----fore me, and, in answer to my enquiries, indicated the right road.",