A MAN-EATING WOLF. 87 



One of the men was awakened by a gurgling noise 

 and a sound of struggling. On looking up he saw 

 that a large wolf had seized his brother-watchman 

 by the throat, and was endeavouring to drag him 

 off, while a second wolf was sitting on its haunches 

 calmly watching the proceedings from outside. He 

 at once got hold of his laihie (quarter-staff), and 

 began belabouring the wolf, but it was only after 

 repeated blows that it loosened its hold ; and then 

 it only went off a few yards and kept growling and 

 showing its teeth. Fortunately the watchman was 

 a brave fellow, and a man of resource. The fire had 

 not yet gone out, and tearing a wisp of grass 

 from the thatched roof, he lighted it and rushed 

 at the wolves with the flaming firebrand, thus 

 putting them to flight, as there is nothing the 

 wolf dreads so much as flaming fire. He had now 

 time to attend to his companion, who had fainted 

 away. There were several slight wounds in the 

 neck, but the thick cloth the man had drawn over 

 him had prevented the wolf from seizing him 

 by the throat, the spot for which these animals 

 always make, and dragging him away. 



Some years ago I was camped near the village 

 of Sat-bowrie (Seven Wells) on the high-road from 

 Nagpore to Jubbulpore. The village had an un- 

 enviable notoriety for thieves and was more 

 frequently called Chor-bowrie (Thieves' Wells) than 

 Sat-bowrie. The hill ranges to the north were 

 inhabited by a wild race known as Bheels, the 

 most expert thieves in the world, and a number of 

 these Bheels had settled round Sat-bowrie, and were 



