62 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 
F 
nounced bump against the upper panes caused him to start 
up, when, to his no small perturbation, there, with his nose 
pressed against the glass, which the narrow frame prevented his 
cheek from breaking, stood a full-grown tiger. How long the 
brute had been there, and what his ultimate intentions may 
have been, it is impossible to divine, but that the lamp, which 
was within two feet of him, and the glare of the window full upon 
him had no deterrent effect upon the gratification of his curiosity 
is certain. Although the occupant was not quick enough to 
seize them, guns ready loaded stood against the mantelpiece. 
So extraordinary was the occurrence deemed that the marks of 
the animal’s paws were allowed to remain on the window-sill 
until the whole station had seen them; and though most of 
those who could testify to the correctness of this story have 
passed away, there are, I think, three still in India who, besides 
myself, can bear witness to the truth of this statement. The 
other instance of a Tiger facing fire was at the burning of a 
Manipuri village near the station of Silchar. We hurried out 
on ponies to see what assistance we could render; a good 
many people were about, running to and fro and making 
the usual hubbub; and the blaze from the burning houses 
threw a lurid light around for a considerable distance. In the 
full glare of it were the village cattle, tethered under a shed, 
when in the midst of the uproar, a Tigress, as it was afterwards 
found to be, crept up a zu/a at the back of the shed, bounded 
in, and made off with a full-grown heifer. But to return to 
Cherra. Though not aggressive in the daytime the Tigers 
were rather more familiar than was pleasant, and if, as is 
mostly the case during the rains, the days were dull and misty, 
the roads deserted, and your business, or inclination, led you 
anywhere near the kAwz, ten to one but what you would see 
some sneaking cattle-lifter dodging from rock to rock or peeping 
cautiously from some deep rift. People perambulating their 
a 
