MAN-EATER LEOPARDS. 67 



our post. Whilst we silently watched there in the gloaming, 

 the hollow moaning voice of the tiger was now and again 

 heard on the hill above. Gradually the sullen sound drew 

 nearer and nearer as the brute came prowling down, until it 

 seemed to be quite close to us, when it ceased and was heard 

 no more. It had now grown so dusky that we were only just 

 able to discern the outline of the carcasses, as, with bated 

 breath, we crouched behind our ambush, listening for the 

 slightest sound, and straining our eyes as we tried to pierce 

 the deepening gloom. My heart beat faster and faster each 

 time the light evening zephyrs stirred the loose leaves of some 

 bush in our vicinity, until the feeling of anxious suspense be- 

 came almost intolerable. We remained listening there, as if 

 spell-bound, for some time after it had grown pitch-dark, 

 expecting each moment to hear the crunching of the bones. 

 At length my trusty old companion, in a whisper, suggested 

 that it might be prudent for us to retire as noiselessly as pos- 

 sible from the ravine, lest the tiger should chance to prefer 

 live to dead meat for his supper. Next morning we were 

 again much astonished at finding our bait untouched. The 

 wary brute must have got wind of us in some manner when 

 he had approached so near, for no sign was either seen or 

 heard of him about the dead cattle after that night. 



Man-eater tigers are not uncommon in the Himalayas, but 

 one seldom hears of man-eating leopards, although they are 

 common enough in Central India. A hill leopard, when it 

 does take to that sort of thing, is generally a very devil 

 at it. A brute of this kind infested the Shore valley during 

 part of the time I was there. It had killed some seven 

 or eight people, and was so crafty that it baffled all 

 attempts to destroy it. In one instance it was bold 

 m.ugh to carry off a little girl from the hut in which she 

 was sleeping. Her people were so anxious to avenge her 

 dt-ath and to rid themselves of this pest, that they came to 

 tin- nutpnst and reported their having actually left the par- 



