258 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS 
CHAP. 
Many people imagine that a tiger attacks man 
with the intention of eating him, as a natural prey ; 
this is a great mistake. The greater number of 
accidents are occasioned by tigers which have no 
idea of making a meal of their victims ; they may 
attack from various reasons. Self-defence is prob¬ 
ably their natural instinct ; the tiger may imagine 
that the person intends some injury, and it springs 
to the attack ; or it may be lying half asleep, and 
when suddenly disturbed it flies at the intruder with¬ 
out any particular intention of destroying him, but 
merely as a natural result of being startled from its 
rest. When, driven by a line of beaters, the tiger 
breaks back, it may be readily understood that it 
will attack the first individual that obstructs its 
retreat, but in no case will the tiger eat the man, 
unless it is a professional man-eater. 
The cunning combined with audacity of some 
man-eaters is extraordinary. 
A few years ago there was a well-known tiger in 
the Mandla district which took possession of the 
road, and actually stopped the traffic. This was not 
the generally accepted specimen of a man-eater, old 
and mangy, but an exceedingly powerful beast of 
unexampled ferocity and audacity. It was a merci¬ 
less highwayman, which infested a well-known 
portion of the road, and levied toll upon the drivers 
of the native carts, not by an attack upon their 
bullocks, but by seizing the driver himself, and 
carrying him off to be devoured in the neighbouring 
jungle. It had killed a number of people, and 
