TRAPPING A MAN-EATER. 305 



royalty on firewood gone, but even the fields were 

 neglected. 



One day a mild-looking native called on the 

 zemindar of Sheikpura who was a heavy loser by 

 the depredations of the tiger, and offered to trap 

 him, if he was given the promised reward. Eventu- 

 ally a bargain was struck that the man should get 

 one hundred rupees, and that all expenses of con- 

 structing the trap should be borne by the villagers. 

 The man disappeared for a day or two saying he 

 was going to watch the tiger and find out its habits 

 and the places it most frequented. On his return 

 he asked that a ring fence, some twenty feet in 

 diameter, of strong poles should be constructed at 

 a point he indicated near a water-course. At one 

 point the fence was open for about five feet and 

 parallel walls of poles made a passage some thirty 

 feet long, leading into the ring fence. Within the 

 ring and near to the entrance he constructed a huge 

 pit twelve feet long, eight feet wide and twelve feet 

 deep. All the earth from this pit was carefully 

 removed to some distance. Over the mouth of this 

 pit he pegged down a cloth of sufficient size to cover 

 it, and over this he strewed leaves. Beyond this 

 pit and within the fence he securely fastened a 

 buffalo to a stake, so that it could be plainly seen 

 from the passage, but could not be got at, without 

 crossing the pit. Before baiting his trap, he asked 

 that no cattle should be allowed near the forest, 

 and that the villagers should keep away, so that the 

 tiger would be without food for some time. He 

 then baited his trap with the live buffalo, and 



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