"KILLING A MAN-EATER" 167 



I did the same at the two other kampongs before 

 we reached Tungku S'lamen's village, where I was 

 received with interest by the natives, as I was one 

 of the very few white people they had ever seen, 

 and as the runners had hurried on ahead as we were 

 getting close to his village, they were all out to see 

 Man Gagah (Sir Elephant). After resting for a 

 few days and hearing whatever news there was 

 regarding the man-eater that was terrorizing the 

 district, I thought it best to try and round him up by 

 elephants. 



As they are cowardly, as well as cunning, they 

 are most difficult to stalk, and as their movements 

 are so uncertain it is very difficult to locate them, 

 it was essential that the men who were to work with 

 me could be depended upon at the right moment. I 

 assured them that in numbers they were safe from 

 the tiger, and that by showing a bold front the tiger 

 would be more afraid of them than they of it. The 

 last time it had been reported had been about ten 

 days before, and nothing could be done for the time 

 being, so I started the men making traps, snares 

 and nets. These I intended to set up within a cer- 

 tain area, while with others I started out on a tour 

 of inspection with the elephants to visit all the water 

 holes and drinking pools in the surrounding district. 

 There I intended to have pits dug and to mark 

 the best places for setting the nets; the traps I 

 intended to set up later, depending more on the nets, 

 as I had already had traps set up in the kampongs 



