342 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



remaining untouched. Pdm Singh, the possessor of the only 

 .matchlock in the place, proposed that the remains should be 

 left untouched, that he might sit up in a tree, and, awaiting 

 the return of the tiger, rid the village for ever of the pest. To 

 this the dead man's relations yielded an unwilling assent, and 

 Pd,dd,m Singh was left to the ghastly company of the corpse? 

 perched high on a neighbouring tree. Ere long the man- 

 eater returned, and the Thakiir watched his approach with 

 immense satisfaction from his lofty position. The tiger ap- 

 proached within eighty yards or so thirty too far for a sure 

 aim with the rude matchlock. Then he paused, and to his 

 horror the Th&kiir saw the mutilated corpse slowly raise its 

 right arm, and point with a warning gesture at himself ! On 

 the signal, the man-eater instantly disappeared in the jungle. 

 Transfixed with horror, the Thakiir remained glued to the 

 tree. Shortly the tiger again returned, and again was the 

 same mute warning given by the dead man, the tiger disap- 

 pearing as before. A bright idea now struck the Thakur, 

 who had somewhat recovered his senses ; and cutting two 

 sharp stakes with his knife, he slipped down the tree and 

 pegged both hands of the corpse firmly to the ground. 

 Scarcely had he regained his perch when the man-eater again 

 appeared ; and, concluding from the absence of the signal that 

 the danger no longer existed, proceeded quietly to resume his 

 horrid feast. He had buried his jaws in the neck of the 

 corpse, when the matchlock of the avenger flashed forth its 

 contents. Struck full on the shoulder by the two bullets with 

 which Pddd-m Singh had loaded his weapon, the dreaded man- 

 eater rolled over dead on the body of his last victim." 



It is singular how widely spread is this superstition regard- 

 ing the malice against their fellows entertained by the spirits 

 of persons killed by wild beasts. According to Sir J. Lub- 



