JACKAt. 
263 
rior to their swiftness, attend to its call, and fol- 
low in silence at some distance behind. The jack- 
al pursues the whole night with unceasing assi 
duity, keeping up the cry, and with great perseve- 
rance at last tires down its prey ; but just at the 
moment it supposes itself going to share the fruits 
of its labour, the lion or the leopard comes in, 
satiates himself upon the spoil, and his poor pro- 
vider must be content with the hare carcase he 
leaves behind. .It is not to be wondered at, there- 
fore, if the jackal be voracious, since it so sel- 
dom has a sufficiency ; nor that it feeds on putrid 
substances, since it is not permitted to feast on 
what it has newly killed. Besides these enemies, 
the jackal has another to cope with, for between 
him and the dog there is an irreconcileabie antipa- 
thy ; and they never part without an engagement* 
The Indian peasants often chase them as we do 
foxes ; and have learned, by experience, when they 
have got a lion or a tiger in their rear. Upon 
suchoccasions they keep their dogs close, as they 
would be no match for such formidable animals, 
and endeavour to put them to flight with their 
cries. When the lion is dismissed, they more 
easily cope with the jackal, who is as stupid as it 
is impudent, and seems much better fitted for pur- 
suing than retreating. It sometimes happens that 
one of them steals silently into an out-house to 
seize the poultry, or devour the furniture; hut 
hearing others in full cry at a distance, without 
thought, it instantly ^answers the call, and thus 
betrays its own depredations. The peasants sally 
out upon it, and the foolish animal finds too 
late, that its instinct was too powerful for its 
safety. 
