148 Wild Beasts 



abstractions of the mind are not identical with realities 

 in nature. They cannot be studied by themselves without 

 distorting the subject to be represented. Compared with 

 that of other great cats the panther's conduct shows that 

 he is braver than the rest. But this is only an empirical 

 conclusion and throws little light upon the animal's charac- 

 ter. We are not in a position, however, to analyze this in 

 such a way as to show the relative development of its 

 traits, or to say how far excess in one direction alters the 

 general disposition. 



So far as the brute's behavior goes, the following narra- 

 tive will be found to bear upon several points that have 

 been discussed. Colonel Barras (" India and Tiger Hunt- 

 ing") had pitched his camp in the Murrec jungles, and 

 it was crowded with the usual supernumerary attendants, 

 together with elephants, gharry bullocks, horses, and 

 dogs. One night as he and his companions — Messrs. 

 Sandford and Franks — lay upon their camp beds in the 

 deep slumber that follows a hard day's work, they were 

 awakened by "a furious roaring." It appears that a 

 panther had come among them, and seized upon a pet 

 dog belonging to the Colonel then tied to his tent pole. 



The brute, finding that it was impossible to carry off 

 his prey, became enraged. Everybody turned out, and 

 the panther made off in the midst of the hubbub. But 

 his visit was looked upon as a challenge, and they resolved 

 to postpone any further proceedings against tigers in that 

 vicinity, until this marauder had been hunted. Orders to 

 that effect were issued to the head shikari, and that worthy 

 acted upon them with such success as to report next 



