354 
JACKALS. 
choly sound, ranging in character from a 
single sharp yelp to a shrill prolonged cry, 
repeated in every variety of pitch, and mip- 
gled with short dismal moans and winn¬ 
ings as of a person in the utmost distress. 
They are never silent an instant from sunset 
to sunrise; and, as there are often more than 
two hundred in one pack, the uproar may 
he more easily imagined than described. 
Sometimes a single jackal may be heard to 
utter a sharp warning cry, which is not re¬ 
peated by the others: this is an unerring 
signal that a tiger is in the neighbourhood. 
The watchmen of a gentleman residing at 
Cawnpore were once attracted by this cry, 
and, creeping cautiously along, under the wall 
of the compound or court, towards the spot 
whence the cry proceeded, they peeped over, 
but beat a hasty retreat upon finding them¬ 
selves face to face with an enormous tiger, 
who was standing with one paw uplifted, 
evidently in an attitude of great attention. 
They got off safely, and heard no more of 
him ; but the next morning his tracks were 
plainly to be seen. The jackal spends 
the day concealed among rocks and thick 
jungly coverts, or in burrows, which are 
