356 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



neighbouring tree. Ere long the man-eater returned, 

 and the Thakiir watched his approach with immense 

 satisfaction from his lofty position. The tiger approached 

 within eighty yards or so — thirty too far for a sure 

 aim with the rude matchlock. Then he paused, and to 

 his horror the Thakur saw the mutilated corpse slowly 

 raise its right arm, and point with a warning gesture at 

 himself ! On the signal, the man-eater instantly 

 disappeared in the jungle. Transfixed with horror, the 

 Thdkiir remained glued to the tree. Shortly the tiger 

 again returned, and again was the same mute warning 

 given by the dead man, the tiger disappearing as before. 

 A bright idea now struck the Thdkiir, who had some- 

 what recovered his senses, and cutting two sharp stakes 

 with his knife, he slipped down the tree and pegged 

 both hands of the corpse firmly to the ground. Scarcely 

 had he regained his perch when the man-eater again 

 appeared ; and, concluding from the absence of the 

 signal that the danger no longer existed, proceeded 

 quietly to resume his horrid feast. He had buried his 

 jaws in the neck of the corpse, when the matchlock of 

 the aveno;er flashed forth its contents. Struck full on 

 the shoulder by the two bullets with which Padam 

 Singh had loaded his weapon, the dreaded man-eater 

 rolled over dead on the body of his last victim." 



It is singular how widely spread is this superstition 

 regarding the malice against their fellows entertained by 

 the spirits of persons killed by wild beasts. According 

 to Sir J. Lubbock, many other savage races, besides 

 those of India, have entertained it ; and it will be seen 

 further on that it forms the o-round of a sinojular 

 ceremony among the wild Bygas of the Mandla district. 



The panther of course never came to the carcase of 

 the pony. I never saw an animal do so yet ; but I 



