THE lYENPOOR MAN-EATER. 295 



is almost impossible to watch a charge against the bars, if standing within a 

 yard or so of them, without flinching ; but if seen at twenty yards' distance 

 it is nothing. 



If a moment's time be given for preparation, a tiger's charge loses 

 much of its power. In following any dangerous game the excitement felt 

 when the beast is known to be near, but not visible, amounts to positive 

 nervousness. A quail rising at his feet startles the man who the next 

 moment faces an elephant or tiger with sang froid. As soon as the game 

 is seen, nervousness gives place to the most perfect coolness, and if a 

 tiger's charge can be anticipated it loses most of its danger. 



I never myseK hesitate to follow wounded animals on foot if the 

 ground be favourable. In such cases the chief precautions to be observed 

 are: to trust no place as not holding the tiger till it has been ascer- 

 tained not to do so ; never carelessly to approach thick cover from which 

 a beast may make a sudden attack ; and, if possible, to have men who will 

 all stand firm. Under no temptation should the sportsman's last shot be 

 fired at a retreating beast. 



I will now recaU, with the aid of my hunting-journal, some scenes in 

 tiger-shooting, and will endeavour to select occurrences illustrative of the 

 nature and peculiarities of the animaL Amongst them I will relate one or 

 two incidents in tiger-shooting on foot, to show how I consider the sport 

 may be managed when occasion demands. 



When I pitched camp at Morlay in September 1873, to commence the 

 elephant kheddahs, the country-side was in a state of considerable alarm 

 from the attacks of a man-eating tigress. This tigress's fits of man-eating 

 seemed to be intermittent, as after IdHing three or four persons some months 

 before, she had not been heard of tiU about the time of my arrival at Mor- 

 lay, when she killed two boys attending goats. I anticipated some trouble 

 from her in our kheddah work, as it would be unsafe for one or two men to 

 go alone through the jungles ; but whether it was from the disturbance 

 caused by seven or eight hundred work-people, or other reasons, we heard 

 nothing of her for some time. 



On November 30th, when the work-people had dispersed, news was 

 brought in that a man, returning to the village of Nagwully (about six miles 

 from Morlay) with cattle, had been carried off the evening before. From 

 an account of the place where the mishap had occurred I knew it was use- 

 less to look for the tigress after the lapse of eighteen hours, as she would 

 have retired to impracticable jungle. I urged the people to bring news of 

 further losses at the earliest possible moment. 



On December 19 th another man was carried off close to the village of 



