218 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA 



driven away from their prey, after killing it, by the unarmed 

 herds. Frequently they are known by particular names ; 

 and they really seem in many cases to live among the 

 villagers and their herds much like a semi-domesticated 

 animal, though, from a mutual consent to avoid direct 

 interviews as much as possible, they are chiefly known by 

 their tracks in the river beds and by their depredations 

 on the cattle. They do not, of course, confine their attacks 

 to the cattle of a single village, usually having a whole circle 

 of them where they are on visiting terms, and among 

 which they distribute their favours with great impartiality. 

 The damage they do on the whole is very great, sixty or 

 seventy head of cattle, worth from £5 to £10 apiece, being 

 destroyed by one such animal in the course of a year. 

 G-enerally there is at least one native in every circle of 

 villages whose profession is that of " shikari," or hunter, 

 and who is always on the outlook to shoot the village tiger. 

 When he hears of a bullock having been killed he proceeds 

 to the spot, and, erecting a platform of leafy boughs in the 

 nearest tree, watches by night for the return of the tiger, 

 who, though he may kill and lap the blood during the day, 

 never feeds before sunset. Generally he does not get a 

 shot, the tiger being extremely suspicious when approaching 

 his " kill," and the shikaris being usually such bunglers at 

 their work as to disturb him by the noise of their pre- 

 parations. Often he misses when he does shoot, the 

 jungle-king being somewhat trying to the nerves; and if 

 he kiUs one tiger in the course of the year he considers 

 himself lucky. His weapon is a long matchlock, which 

 he loads with six " fingers " of powder and two bullets. 

 These fly a little apart, and if they hit are usually the 

 death of the tiger. His method of shooting is sometimes 

 imitated by lazy European sportsmen. 



Another way of hunting ordinary tigers is to beat them 

 out of their midday retreat with a strong gang of beaters, 

 supplied with drums, fireworks, etc., the gmis themselves 

 being posted at hkely spots ahead. This plan is often 

 successful, when the operations are directed by some one 

 who knows the ground. Frequently, however, the tiger 

 is not foimd at all, and moreover he very commonly 



