UNEXPECTED NEWS OF THE MAN-EATER. 203 



bare granite, a few bushes and boulders being the only cover, and the 

 country was open all round it. On the east face there was a little more 

 cover, and the main jungle was distant five hundred yards, but between it 

 and the hill was open ground, so that the tigress was in an isolated 

 position. 



I ordered a pad-elephant at once, whilst I thought over the best plan 

 for hunting her. Such a chance as getting her into a detached hill could 

 hardly be hoped for again, and the present situation offered a fine oppor- 

 tunity of extinguishing her. The only plans were to drive her out, or to 

 watch for her return to the carcass. The first I saw would not do, as 

 all the Morlay men, — the only ones amongst the villagers who would have 

 been useful for this service — the others were too terrified, — were at their 

 fields, and time would be lost in collecting them; and though this might 

 possibly have been effected, and the tigress have been driven out, as there 

 was no doubt she would flee readily from a hunting-party, it would be 

 impossible for one rifle to command the entire east side of the hill, at any 

 point of which she might break. I therefore decided to watch for her 

 return to the carcass, and hastily securing a bottle of water and some 

 bread, and an overcoat in case of night-watching, I started. 



On the way the tracker told me how the party had met the tigress. 

 They were going across open fields and saw an object moving over the bare 

 ground which they could not at first make out, but presently discovered to 

 be a tiger on the far side of, and partly hidden by, a bullock, which it was 

 half dragging, half carrying towards the hill. They immediately divined it 

 to be the man-eater, and ran shouting towards her, obliging her to drop the 

 bullock at the foot of the hill, up which she sullenly trotted. One tracker 

 then hastened to camp ; the others remained to prevent her returning to 

 the bullock before I arrived. 



I need here hardly say, except for the information of those who have 

 had no experience of man-eating tigers, that they never refuse a bullock 

 or other prey, if such offers, and that when opposed by man they give way 

 at once. Their tactics in attacking man may be described in one word — 

 surprise ; and if discovered in their attempt they generally abandon it. 

 The most confirmed man-eaters never lose the innate fear with which all 

 inferior animals regard human beings, and unless they can stalk and catch 

 an unwary cow-herd or wood-cutter in their own fashion they are not to be 

 dreaded. When the tables are turned on them they flee as readily as other 

 tigers. 



When we got near the hill we left the elephant and -joined the track- 

 ers. The only cover near the carcass was a large rock, but the wind was 



