74 
IVILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS 
CHAP. 
sticks ; at the same time six or eight natives with 
their matchlocks should be placed at intervals along 
the line to fire at the tiger should it attempt to 
break through the rear. This may sometimes, 
but rarely, succeed in turning it, and* compelling 
it to move in the required direction. It is a curious 
fact that “breaking back” is a movement general 
to all animals, which have an instinctive presenti¬ 
ment of danger in the front, if alarmed by the 
sound of beaters from behind. If once they deter¬ 
mine upon a stampede to the rear, nothing will 
stop them, but they will rush to destruction and 
face any opposition rather than move forward 
before the line. The tiger in such cases is 
extremely dangerous, although when retreating in 
an ordinary manner before the beaters it would 
seldom attack a human being, but, on the contrary, 
it would endeavour to avoid him. It is frequently 
the custom of tigers to remain together in a family, 
the male, female, and a couple of half or three- 
parts grown young ones. We cannot positively 
determine whether the male always remains with 
his family under such circumstances, or whether he 
merely visits them periodically; I am inclined to 
the latter opinion, as I think the female may be 
attractive during her season, which induces the 
male to prolong his visit, although at other periods 
he may be leading an independent life. Good 
fortune specially attends some favoured sportsmen, 
who have experienced the intensity of happiness 
when a complete family of tigers has marched past 
