344 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



of the game naturally disappears. This applies to the tiger 

 even, which they are said to attack wherever they meet him. 

 Tigers would naturally follow the herds of deer on which they 

 prey, if they were moved by the wild dogs ; but there is such 

 a consensus of native opinion as to the wild pack actually 

 hunting, and even sometimes killing tigers, that it is difficult 

 altogether to discredit it. I do not believe that any number 

 of the dogs could overcome a tiger in fair fight ; but I think it 

 quite possible that they might stick to him, and wear him out 

 by keeping him from his natural food. Many stories are 

 related of tigers climbing into trees (which of course is quite 

 against their nature) to escape from them ; and I once saw the 

 bones of a tiger lying on a ledge of rock, where more than one 

 person assured me that they had seen him lying surrounded 

 by a large pack of the wild dogs. 



The wild dog of this part of India* is about the size of a 

 small setter, and the colour of the old " mustard " breed of 

 terriers. In shape, however, he is more vulpine than any 

 European breed of dogs, with a long, sharp face, erect but 

 not very long or pointed ears, and slouching tail never raised 

 higher than the line of the back. In these respects he very 

 much resembles the red pariahs above mentioned, the most 

 noticeable distinction being that the latter raise their tails at 

 times a good deal higher, with something of a curl. Very 

 often, however, and particularly when moving fast, the pariahs 

 carry their tails just like the wild dog ; and so close is some- 

 times the resemblance between them, that I remember on one 

 occasion, near MandUi, I allowed what afterwards proved to 

 be really a wild dog to escape from before my rifle, as he 

 trotted across the road before me, thinking him to be one of 

 those red pariahs strayed from some village. There is of 



* Cuon rutilans. 



