TIGERS. 175 



and cattle. Horses will not stand in his presence with 

 any steadiness; and the elephant is restless when in 

 his vicinity. This sagacious animal often manages to 

 shake him off ; and if he have taken hold of his trunk, 

 he tramples on him with his fore-feet, and so destroys 

 him. If he cannot dislodge him from his body, he lies 

 down upon him, and attempts to kill him by rolling his 

 ponderous weight upon him. Seldom, however, is the 

 tiger the aggressor, unless he be driven to it by hunger 

 or maddened by pain and despair, and then he struggles 

 till he dies. He hides himself with such caution and 

 skill, that travellers are laid hold of without being 

 aware of his vicinity. The bride has been snatched 

 from her camel, the sportsman from his elephant, and 

 the child from its mother. There is a tradition in 

 India, however, that when tigers have fed on human 

 flesh they become mangy. 



Tigers are much more easily caught in traps than 

 lions ; and those most used are made so as to fall upon 

 them when they seize the bait. In Sumatra the natives 

 poison the carcases which are left for them, or they 

 fasten these baits to a stake or tree, and place a vessel 

 filled with arsenic and water near by, of which the tiger 

 invariably drinks, after making a full meal. 



A tiger is easily startled by a sudden noise, as tho 

 well-known story of Mrs. Day and her umbrella will 

 prove ; but I have another and more recent instance of 

 this, which occurred to my brother. He was one evening 

 on his return to his own house from that of a brother 

 officer, with whom he had been dining, and he was met 

 by his servants, who entreated of him to make haste 

 home, for there was a tiger prowling round ; and in 

 fact a jackal was close to him, who so often accompanies 



