128 SHOOTING IN CHINA 



of ponies and mules, which are generally 

 from eleven to twelve hands high, a big 

 tiger will attack, and often successfully. 

 As many of the ponies are stallions, there is 

 a fight at once when a stallion is attacked, 

 and if but one tiger only the pony not 

 infrequently comes off victorious. A single 

 tiger will seldom attack a pony or mule in 

 a caravan, because the leader is invariably 

 a large stallion, a fact the tiger appears to 

 comprehend and appreciate. Some of the 

 tigers are fond of human flesh and do not 

 hesitate, when there is a chance, to attack 

 a man or woman. General Mesney was in- 

 formed by a French priest, who resided 

 near Cheng-an-chow, in upper Kwei-chow, 

 that one day some of the people in his 

 parish came and reported to him that a man- 

 eating tiger had just killed a young boy 

 and had carried the dead body to a neigh- 

 boring hill, where it had eaten a part, and 

 was still concealed among the rocks. The 

 good missionary, though not a sportsman, 

 acceded to the wishes of the parishsoners, 

 and with gun in hand went hunting for the 

 tiger. When he sallied forth in search of 

 the guilty animal he was followed by many 



