Thrale history

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place he knew it to be either a tiger or a panther. It now became necessary to calculate the consequences of commencing an attack, and Mr. Thrale hesitated for some moments as to the course to pursue; but the entreaties of the men who appeared to be more concerned at the probable escape of their prize than the danger of an immediate attack, he sent William Smith on the other side of the hedge to watch his motions and fired. The beast instantly uttered a terrific yell and rushed out of the hedge and made away across a field where he crouched down and concealed himself.

The party then deemed it prudent to obtain a reinforcement, which they procured from Wheathampstead, Mr. James Mardall accompanying them armed with a gun, and many others with forks etc. On approaching the place where the beast had retired to, a stone was thrown into the hedge and he immediately rushed out with another horrid yell, and seized an old man father to Field by the hip and threw him down. Mr. Thrale unable to fire for fear of hitting the old man, set a mastiff they had with them onto the beast, which diverted his attention and he made up the field followed by the dog. Mr. Thrale then fired one of the barrels of his gun and hit him in the side, upon which he turned upon the dog, and while engaged with him, Mr. Thrale, with the most extraordinary coolness and intrepedity approached within a yard of the animal, and discharged the remaining barrel, the contents of which entered the spine of his back, and penetrated to his heart; he then rolled over the dog into the hedge within a few yards of the spot where he was first discovered. The county press says, 'upon this, Mr. Mardall, with wonderful intrepedity entered the close and shot him in the hinder parts. After another shot from Mr. Mardall, the whole party came up to the animal and found life extinct'. But our informant does not mention this circumstance; nor is it stated in the account of the affair to be found in the County Herald, the whole credit in both cases being given to Mr. Thrale, Mr. William Thrale of Mackerye End Farm, brother to the hero of our narrative, has since stuffed the animal and placed it amongst a collection of animals and birds he has formed.

On opening the body, the intestines of which are very small, part of a dog was found in the stomach, which apparently was the only food it had taken for some time. In height it was two feet two and a half inches, and in length from the nose to the tip of the tail eight feet two inches. It was in good condition and weighed fourteen stone two pound.

It is supposed that the animal escaped from a menagerie which passed