v THE TIGER 89 



A professed man-eater is the most wary of animals, and is very 

 difficult to kill, not because it is superior in strength, but through 

 its extreme caution and cunning, which renders its discovery a 

 work of long labour and patient search. An average native does 

 not form a very hearty meal. If a woman, she will have more 

 flesh than a man about the buttocks, which is the portion both in 

 animals and human beings which the tiger first devours. The man- 

 eater will seize an unsuspecting person by the neck, and will then 

 drag the body to some retreat in which it can devour its prey in 

 undisturbed security. Having consumed the hind-quarters, thighs, 

 and the more fleshy portions, it will probably leave the body, and 

 will never return again to the carcase ; but will seek a fresh victim, 

 perhaps at some miles' distance, in the neighbourhood of another 

 village. Their cautious habits render it almost impossible to 

 destroy a cunning man-eater, as it avoids all means of detection. 

 In this peculiarity the ordinary man-eating tiger differs from all 

 others, as the cattle-killer is almost certain to return on the follow- 

 ing night to the body which it only partially devoured after the 

 first attack. If the hunter has the taste and patience for night 

 shooting, he will construct a hiding-place within 10 yards of the 

 dead body. This should be arranged before noon, in order that no 

 noise should disturb the vicinity towards evening, when the tiger 

 may be expected to return. A tree is not a favourable stand for 

 night shooting, as the foliage overhead darkens the sight of the 

 rifle. Three poles of about 5 inches diameter and 12 feet in 

 length should be sunk as a triangle, the thickest ends placed 2 feet 

 in the ground. The poles should be 4 feet apart, and when firmly 

 inserted will represent a scaffolding 10 feet high. Bars and 

 diagonal pieces must be firmly lashed to prevent the structure from 

 swaying. Within a foot of the top three strong cross-bars will be 

 lashed, to support a corduroy arrangement of perfectly straight 

 level bars, quite close together to form a platform. A thickly 

 folded rug will carpet the rough surface, upon which the watcher 

 will sit upon a low turnstool that will enable him to rest in com- 

 fort, and turn without noise in any required direction. A bamboo 

 or other straight stick will be secured as a rail around the platform, 

 upon which some branches may be so arranged as to form a screen 

 that will conceal the watcher from the view of an approaching 

 tiger. This arrangement is called a " mucharn." 



When a tiger is driven before beaters it seldom or never looks 

 upwards, but merely regards the surface as it advances ; but when 

 approaching a "kill" (the term applied to the animal which has 

 been killed) the tiger is exceedingly cautious, and surveys every- 



