TIGER-HUNTING IN CHINA 237 



anything disturbed the silence of the town at night ; 

 and I was vaguely wondering what could be the mat- 

 ter, when the men in the temple were all on their 

 feet, some running for their spears, and others to 

 get my gun out of its case. In a minute we were out 

 in the village street in the moonlight, where the dogs 

 were bolting up and down, barking furiously and 

 evidently much disturbed at something, though the 

 cause was not apparent. And just then I distinctly 

 saw, off in the rice-fields, a shadowy form sneaking 

 away a dog, perhaps, or a pig, though it looked 

 like something larger ; and though my first impulse 

 was to follow, I saw at once that it would be useless. 

 The barking of the curs soon subsided and we re- 

 turned to the temple. 



In the morning great excitement prevailed in the 

 courtyard; the whole village had apparently gath- 

 ered there and were talking and gesticulating vio- 

 lently. Lim translated that a dog had been taken 

 away in the night, and that a tiger was undoubtedly 

 about. The hunter-men had meanwhile gone out to 

 inspect the goats, and returned with the news that 

 one had vanished, the rope being parted clean and 

 the animal having completely disappeared without 

 a sign of blood. I was on the spot immediately, and 

 found the report true, with no vestige of any track 

 to work on. There was nothing to do. To smoke up 



