THE BITER BIT 



when encamped with my chief, Probyn, at Pansumbal 

 (Native States), we captured something larger, though not 

 quite the sort of creature we wanted to entrap. 



We had baited the trap one evening with a goat, and 

 had set it near a path leading to the village where on the 

 previous day we had seen the tracks of a large panther. 

 The chances of our capturing him were .therefore fairly 

 good, but as we knew the beast was not likely to take the 

 bait till late at night we retired to bed at our usual time. 



We had been asleep some hours when about midnight 

 we were awakened by the most unearthly screams, and 

 thinking some one had been seized by the panther, we 

 jumped out of bed, turned out our police guard, and 

 arming ourselves with guns and spears, we ran to the 

 spot whence the sounds proceeded. 



What was our amazement on arrival to find a wretched 

 Bhil firmly fixed between the jaws of the trap. He turned 

 out to be one of the villagers, who, on hearing the bleating 

 of the goat, thought he might as well appropriate it, and 

 had thus been actually caught in the very act. 



It was truly a case of " the biter bit ; " fortunately he 

 was not severely hurt, though one of the long spikes had 

 pierced the calf of his leg. He was fortunate, too, in 

 being rescued at once, for had the panther come up when 

 he was in this plight, he might easily have fallen a victim 

 to the beast. 



On relating the incident next morning to a petty chief 

 who happened to be visiting our camp, he quite seriously 

 remarked, " What a pity, Sahib, you released the man, 

 for he would have made a fine bait for the panther." How- 

 ever, as our visitor was under the influence of opium at 

 the time, it is only fair to assume that this somewhat 

 bloodthirsty suggestion was the outcome of a mind 

 disordered for the moment. 



On another occasion this same individual while again 

 enjoying a period of temporary mental aberration, due 

 to the same cause, suddenly developed an apparently 

 irresistible desire to hack a dead bear to pieces with his 

 sword. His intention was fortunately discovered, but 

 only just in time to prevent an unusually fine trophy being 

 ruined. 



143 



