A MAN-EATING WOLF. 91 



goldsmith's house, but they were carefully kept 

 away from the vicinity of some well-marked signs 

 in the dust before the house. They were similar 

 to the marks seen near other houses from which 

 inmates had been taken four rounded holes, 

 about fifteen inches apart and placed two and 

 two together. The back holes were much wider 

 than those in front, and from these latter a slight 

 depression extended for about ten inches ter- 

 minating in a knuckle mark. A similar knuckle 

 mark was seen behind each of the near holes, but 

 further away, and the longitudinal mark was 

 wanting. My attention was drawn to these pecu- 

 liarities by Cumberledge, whose training as a police 

 officer qualified him for taking note of signs that 

 others would have overlooked. The natives were 

 loud in their expressions of opinion as to the 

 machinations of a forest demon. One old man 

 indeed declared that he had seen the evil thing. 

 It first appeared as an old man, and then changed 

 into a dog, and then vanished. His story, though 

 laughed at by us, was firmly believed by the 

 simple villagers, and after-events proved that there 

 was some truth in it. Careful search showed the 

 trail to lead to some stony ground outside the 

 village, where all further trace of it was lost. 

 Returning from an unsuccessful hunt all over the 

 neighbourhood, we came back to the goldsmith's 

 house, with the faint hope of finding some clue, 

 when suddenly a thought struck me that I had 

 seen a similar trail before, and I accordingly told 

 one of the natives present to go down on all fours, 



