CAPTURE THE CUBS. 349 



themselves such graceless and intractable little beasts that I sent them, 

 after keeping them for a few weeks, to the public gardens in Bangalore, 

 where they are, I believe, to this day. I have never been able to make 

 pets of panther or leopard cubs. They seem almost untamable, and are 

 certainly never to be trusted as young tigers may be. The latter become as 

 faithful and reliable as dogs, and I have never found any difficulty in keep- 

 ing them till they attained formidable dimensions. They appear to have 

 more of the dog than of the cat in their disposition. 



The beaters now said there were some wild pigs in a ravine two miles 

 away, and if I would wait for a few minutes they would run to the village 

 for their nets, and would hunt them under my auspices. Arrived at the 

 ravine, I sat on the side of a hill under a tree whence I had a good view 

 of the sport. Presently three pigs tore along the opposite side of the valley 

 before the pursuing beaters, but coming to the nets, which they winded, 

 they turned down-hill, crossed the ravine, and came rattling up close on my 

 left. Then such a shout arose among the beaters ! Their expectations of 

 pork, as far as these rested on the netting process, were gone. I was their 

 last hope of meat for supper. They called out, " Sir, sir ! " (in Canarese, of 

 course,) in every tone of voice, from the exhorting and imploring to the 

 despairing. This quite put me off" my shooting. Had they kept quiet I 

 think I was good for one, if not two, of the pigs at the distance at which 

 they passed me, but their desperate, still hopeful shouts, tickled me so that 

 I missed with both barrels. What delight had been theirs had a pig rolled 

 over ! I comforted them, however, by telling them not to mind the pigs, 

 as they had behaved like men in the panther beat, and should have three 

 sheep in lieu of the escaped pigs. 



I have already spoken of the boldness panthers and leopards display in 

 entering villages at niglit in quest of dogs, goats, &c. They not unfrequently 

 venture into the sportsman's encampment on similar enterprises, and their 

 inroads are generally so well-timed that the chances are in favour of their 

 carrying off the object that has attracted them. I once, however, frustrated 

 a panther in the following manner : Captain R and I were doing a little 

 shooting together in the Hoonsoor jungles, and were encamped near the 

 village of Hullada Copple, which we were told was infested by a panther 

 that had carried off all the dogs, and was troubling the ryots greatly by its 

 boldness. The jungles were too extensive to attempt beating for it with 

 any prospect of success, and, in fact, we gave it little consideration, being 

 more intent on a search for a tiger. On the niglit of our arrival we sug- 

 gested to our servants to be doubly cautious in keeping the camp-fires 

 burning, and after our post - prandial cheroots, were soon sound asleep. 



