A BENGALI SUPERSTITION 



it gradually died away as the animal that emitted it a 

 tiger, needless to say having probably scented our ele- 

 phants, moved further off. By this time, however, the 

 whole encampment was astir, and we could hear the men 

 discussing these dread sounds in hushed and terror- 

 stricken voices all except the old shikari, who as usual 

 took the matter philosophically, taunting the others 

 and laughing at their fears. 



But even he, we noticed, was careful to refer to the 

 animal as a " geedur " the Bengali for jackal a proof 

 that he was not so indifferent to the tiger's proximity as he 

 seemed, for there is a belief, current amongst some natives 

 of Bengal, that tigers resent being discussed by human 

 beings and should one overhear a man doing so, will not 

 rest till it has killed and eaten the offender ! 



To deceive the animal, therefore, these people when 

 speaking of a tiger near at hand, invariably allude to it as 

 a jackal because, being the smallest and most insignificant 

 beast in the forest, they argue that no self-respecting 

 tiger, however prone to take offence, could possibly make 

 any mistake ! 



Be this as it may it seemed to us one of the strangest 

 of the many strange superstitions held by natives being 

 to Western ideas somewhat anomalous, for as we pointed 

 out to our old man later to insult a tiger by calling it a 

 jackal was scarcely the best way of propitiating the beast; 

 but, shrugging his shoulders, he merely replied with the 

 usual native formula, " Kya jane " * but added by way 

 of explanation that " such was their ' dustoor.'f " 



This little incident delayed us for some time, but even 

 then we had to use our lantern for the first mile or two of 

 our journey and until the sun had gained sufficient height 

 and power to lighten up the jungle, which as on the 

 previous day we found most difficult to negotiate, in fact, 

 the second day's travel was merely a repetition of the first, 

 but the night proved infinitely more exciting. We 

 camped again at sun-down as near as we could guess 

 making the same arrangements for our camp as before, 

 and until a couple of hours before dawn, had slept peace- 

 fully enough, when a loud rumbling from our elephants 



* Who knows. t Custom. 



123 



