METHOD OF EXTINGUISHING A LANTERN 



" mahout," and being the proud possessor of a long, 

 single-barrel, gas-pipe-like gun, he had resolved to wreak 

 immediate vengeance on the destroyers of his cattle. 

 Accompanied by a posse of his co-villagers, he had accord- 

 ingly set out that night to the scene of the disaster, and 

 selecting a convenient tree, ensconced himself on one of 

 its branches, where his escort left him. 



Here in some discomfort but comparative security 

 with his antiquated weapon loaded almost to the muzzle 

 with a miscellaneous collection of projectiles, and a lantern 

 suspended on a branch over the carcasses, he had been 

 sitting till midnight, half asleep, when he was roused by 

 a rustling in the jungle below him. 



Presently, two long, shadowy forms emerged into the 

 circle of light cast by the lantern, and stood gazing up at 

 it with evident suspicion, but before the author of this 

 ingenious device had time to bring his unwieldy weapon 

 into a position likely to damage anyone but himself, the 

 tigers for such they proved to be evidently satisfied 

 that the strange-looking thing dangling from the tree was 

 in some way responsible for this unnatural and objection- 

 able illumination, sprang up at it, striking savagely with 

 their paws, till not a vestige of the light was left or much 

 of the lantern. 



This sudden and unlooked-for behaviour of the tigers so 

 terrified the hapless sportsman on the tree that relinquish- 

 ing all designs upon them as in fact he was compelled 

 to do in the absence of any light he now confined his 

 attentions to improving the safety of his position by groping 

 his way higher up into the branches, where he remained 

 in abject terror and considerable discomfort, till the 

 morning, when his friends returned as arranged. 



Meanwhile, as he went on to inform me, the tigers, 

 after extinguishing the light, had commenced their feast 

 off the buffalo, and the sound of skin and flesh being torn 

 and crunching of bones continued for some hours adding 

 considerably to the terrifying feelings he experienced till 

 the coming dawn relieved him of their presence. 



Such was the story he related of his strange and, as 

 I thought at the time, so improbable an adventure, that 

 I was inclined to believe he had trumped up the tale to 



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