A leopard hunting

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It is a very old story that I heard from my Grandpa when I was a student of class-VI. One morning,during the harvest season Grandfather went to our corn field situated beside the railline of Charbatia with some labourers to cut the paddy. At that time Charbatia area was full of dense forests and wild animals. Among them leopards were the terror for the local villagers who sneaked at night searching for preys such as cattles or domestic fowls. Sometimes they were entering the corn field for rest to refresh themselves after being tired of night patrolling. That morning while the hired labourers reached at our field suddenly one of them detected a leopard hiding itself under the thick bush of ripe paddy which was snarling.

My grandfather was learning lathi brandishing technique from a muslim martial artist named Laque Md. belonged to Dalijoda Brahmapur. As he was the son of my great grandpa, the respectable headman, he sent for Laque, his teacher, to the spot. It was about 10 pm. when he arrived. But a pathetic incident happend that a villager named Jati Natia of Agrahat suddenly shouted at the lurking leopard out of curiosity face to face. The tiger, at once rushed out of the paddy bush and caught hold of Jati and hand to hand combat started. Both the animal and man were rolling on the ground. Jati was severely wounded by the tiger bite and was completely bloody. The leopard was trying to grab his neck and Jati was pushing it back. Jati was fully jammed by the tiger's clutch. his type of combat ran for about half an hour. Gradually news was spread over. A large number of local villagers began to gather around the bounadary ridge of the field. They were fully amazed by viewing the game of life and death.

So my great grandpa instructed Laqua to spear the tiger but he could not do the needful due to the rolling movement. If Laqua could have speared the leopard recklessly, Jati's life might have been jeopardised at his slightest diversion. Still he continued his trial and as he was an expert in spearing suddenly he aimed at the tiger's neck at the nick of the time after waiting for nearabout 05 minutes. Then he was successful as the spear pierced the neck of the tiger wherefore it left Jati Natia instantly. The ferocious tiger was killed after a few minutes and my grandpa stood on the dead leopard and a photograph was taken. Then the dead tiger and wounded Jati were carried to the Collectorate,Cuttack to inform the Collector as per the administrative system during those days. After verification the Collector Sahib gave permission for immediate hospitalisation of Jati Natia and for handing over the animal to Forest Department for necessary action. As per the then prevailing rule of the British Government, a sum of rupees 1000 was paid to the wife of Mr. Natia as medical aid and Rs. 5000 was paid to the villagers of Agrahat for through my Grandpa as a reward towards prompting people for killing the predator. Grandpa had deposited the sum in the village welfare society. But it was a sorrowful fact that after about six months Jati Natia expired inspite of regular treatment in Govt. hospital. This one is a. true story told by my grand father.