74 TIGERS. 



their vision in the night is much more perfect than 

 that of a man, and if the Shecarries or villagers 

 dismount from their michaun, and should be seen 

 by the tiger, they would be attacked, and could 

 have no chance of escaping. I believe that they 

 generally remain on the michaun until day light, 

 when they descend, and if they have fired at a 

 tiger during the night, they collect from the village 

 or neighbouring villages, a number of armed 

 people. With these, and a few dogs, they search 

 all the covers, and if any blood is seen, they fol- 

 low it, and often succeed in finding the tiger 

 wounded or dead. Although it may require more 

 resolution to sit in the michaun, the searching 

 for the tiger is really the most dangerous part of 

 the business ; however, being a number together, 

 they encourage one another, and are not ap- 

 parently aware of their danger, though they are 

 frequently carried off in the pursuit. 



If a tiger kills and carries away a man or 

 woman, and the body should be found not half 

 devoured, none of the Shecarries or villagers will 

 ever sit up to kill the tiger when he returns to 

 feed on the remainder. They are more afraid of 

 the apparition of the dead person, than of the liv- 

 ing tiger. On several occasions I offered to sit 



