A TALE OF A BOLD MAHARAJAH.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2769, 12 April 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

A TALE OF A BOLD MAHARAJAH.

The following graphic account of a tiger hunt is taken from one of our Indian contemporaries "On October 7th there came a very big tiger iu a village Ranta six miles off Sonbarsa. The news came to H. H., the Maharaja Bahadur at S a.m. The Maharaja, hearing of the beast, deputed four of his shikari elephants and howdahs. He, too, started at 2 p.m., after holding his usual kutcherry, with his arms on a tandem. Having arrived there at the place, H.H. saw a crowd all around the village, but none could say the whereabouts of the tiger. Suddenly a nun whispered to H.H., 'there is the beast sleeping in the paddy field.' There the brave Maharajah turned his elephant and fired at a very small bird on the wing over his head. This report of the gun made the tiger startle with a heavy roar. No sooner had the beast jumped out towards the elephant, H.H. fired at him in the behind part, or buttock, with his rifle, and there it fell wounded. Again it once tried to take a leap, but the second bullet from H. H., entering the same spot of his anatomy, made him lie in silenco for ever. It was found to be Sft '2in in length. There is a great tumaxha since this time. In these days big persons generally take delight in hunting and spending hundreds of rupees in it, but seldom they find any beast of this kind. We are very thankful to H.H. for this brave action, who boldly faced the caruiverous beast alone in person for the protection of his loyal subjects. If all the big persons of our country were to take such lively couragc in protecting their men the race of these maneaters would be absent from the surface of the world. May God pour blessings on the bravery of the Maharajah Bahadur of Sonbarsa."