226 Wild Beasts 



and the meal begins on the haunch. A panther or leopard 

 would commonly commence with the inner part of the 

 thighs, " a wolf tears open the belly and eats the intestines 

 first," and a hawk, and other birds of prey, pick out the 

 eyes ; but a tiger follows the course described, as a rule, 

 and after having bolted — for he never chews his food — as 

 much as he can hold, the remainder is dragged off and 

 concealed, or at least this is the intention, though his de- 

 sign is always very imperfectly executed. 



Colonel Barras, while waiting for a tiger driven by beaters, 

 saw the beast break back upon their line, as these animals 

 are apt to do, and with evil consequences, seeing that no 

 power can keep Hindus together. 



" I saw him rise up on his hind legs and take the head 

 of one of them in his mouth. In an instant he dropped 

 his victim, and made short pounces at the others, who (as 

 may be supposed) were flying wildly in all directions. 

 Numbers of them left the long cloths they wear round 

 their heads sticking to the thorny bushes. These, it 

 seemed to me, the tiger mistook for some snare, as he sud- 

 denly turned and bounded away at tremendous speed 

 under the very tree I was in. Owing to the great pace 

 he was going I missed him. I have since seen others 

 miss under the same circumstances, but at the time I felt 

 my position keenly, being under the impression that other 

 persons invariably dropped their tigers whenever and 

 wherever they might get a glimpse of them. 



" It only remained now to follow up the brute with ele- 

 phants. Owing to the fierceness of the sun, he would not 

 be likely to travel far, or make many moves. After track- 



