Chapter VII: The Tiger (continued) (1)

The day after the accident described, we were sitting beneath the shade of a mango grove at about 4 P.M. when a native arrived at the camp with news that a tiger had just killed a valuable cow which gave him a large supply of milk, and the body was lying about 2 miles distant. The tragic incident of the previous day had established a panic in the village, and the natives were not in the humour to turn out as beaters. I quite shared their feeling, as I did not wish to expose the poor people after the loss they had sustained; it was too late for a beat, therefore I determined to take the two elephants and make a simple reconnaissance, that might be of use upon the following day.

It was 4.30 P.M. by the time we started, as the two elephants had taken some time to prepare. The native was tolerably correct in his estimate of distance, and after passing through a long succession of glades and wooded hills, broken by deep nullahs, we arrived at the place, where soaring vultures marked the spot, and the remains of a fine white cow were discovered, that had been killed upon the open ground and dragged into the dense jungle. Leaving Demoiselle in the open, and taking Berry into my howdah upon Moolah Bux, we carefully searched the jungle until sunset, but finding nothing, we were obliged to return to camp, having made ourselves thoroughly acquainted with the conditions of the locality. On the following morning at daylight I took only twenty men, who had recovered from their panic, and with the two elephants and a very plucky policeman we made our way to the place where the body of the cow was lying on the previous evening. It was gone. Leaving all the men outside the jungle, we followed on Moolah Bux, tracking along the course where the tiger had dragged the carcase, and keeping a sharp look-out in all directions. After a course of about 150 yards we arrived at a spot where the tiger had evidently rested: here it had devoured the larger portion, and nothing but the head remained. It was impossible to decide whether jackals or hyenas had made away with the remnants, or whether the tiger had carried them off to some secure hiding-place, but it was highly probable that the animal was not far distant.

The jungle was not more than 5 or 6 acres, and it was surrounded by grass; we therefore determined to arrange scouts around, while we should thoroughly but slowly examine the covert upon the two elephants.

There was nothing in the drive.

The slope upon which the jungle was situated drained towards an exceedingly deep and broad nullah; this formed the main channel, into which numerous smaller nullahs converged from the surrounding inclination. The general character of the country was withered grass upon numerous slopes, the tops of which were covered with low jungle. At the lower portion of the deep nullah there was a small but important pool of water, as it was the only drinking-place within a distance of 2 miles. As usual, there was a sandbank around this deep pool, which, being in the bend of the nullah, had been swept out of the opposing bank and deposited near, the drinking-hole. Upon this sandy surface we found several tracks of tigers, and we arrived at the conclusion that a tiger and tigress had been together, and that I had killed the male on the occasion of the accident; the female would therefore be the animal of which we were in search.

The nullah was about 20 yards across and 30 feet in depth; the banks were in most places perpendicular, and the bottom was rough with stones, intermingled with bushes, most of which had lost their foliage. It was quite possible that, after drinking the tigress might have lain down to sleep among the bushes, where the hollowed bank afforded a cool shade; but I did not like to send men into the dangerous bottom, and the banks were so steep that the elephants could not possibly descend.

About 400 paces distant, a large tree grew from the right bank, and the branches overhung the nullah; I therefore suggested to Berry that he should take up a position in the boughs, and that we would beat towards him by pelting the bottom of the ravine with stones; should the tigress break back, I could stop her from the howdah, and should she move forward, she must pass directly beneath the tree upon which Berry would be seated. This plan was carried out, but the plucky policeman insisted upon descending into the nullah and walking up the bottom, while the natives upon either side bombarded the banks with stones.

There was absolutely nothing alive in that inviting nullah. I had walked Moolah Bux slowly along, looking down from the margin of the ravine, and upon arrival at Berry's perch I took him up behind me in the rear compartment of the howdah. I felt almost sure that, although we had drawn a blank up to the present time, the tigress would be lying somewhere among the numerous deep but narrow nullahs which drained into the main channel that we had just examined. We therefore determined to leave all the men seated upon a knoll on the highest ground, while we should try the various nullahs upon Moolah Bux; as he could walk slowly along the margin so close to the edge that we should be able to look down into the bottom of each ravine, and in the parched state of vegetation nothing could escape our view.

The natives were well satisfied with this arrangement, and they took their seats upon a grassy hill, which afforded a position from which they could watch our movements.

Moolah Bux commenced his stately march, walking so close to the hard edge of the deep nullahs that I was rather anxious lest the bank should suddenly give way. The instinct of an elephant is extraordinary in the selection of firm ground. Although it appeared dangerous to me, Moolah Bux was perfectly satisfied that the ground would bear his weight, and he continued his risky march, both up and down a number of those monotonous ravines which scored the slopes in all directions, but without success.

The sun was like fire, and it was difficult to grasp the barrel of the rifle. It was past noon, and we had been working unceasingly since 6 a.m. The bottoms of the ravines were filled some feet in depth with dry leaves, which had fallen from the trees (now naked) which fringed the banks, therefore we could have seen a cat had she been lying either in the nullah or upon the barren sides. "There is no tigress here," said Berry; "this is one of those sly brutes, that kills and eats, but does not remain near her kill; she is probably a couple of miles away while we are looking for her in these coverless nullahs."

These words were hardly uttered, when we suddenly heard a rushing sound like a strong wind, which seemed to disturb the dried leaves in the deep bottom somewhere in our front. At first I could hardly understand the cause, but in a few seconds a large tigress sprang up the bank, and appeared about 20 paces in our front. Without a moment's hesitation she uttered several short roars, and upon the beautifully clean ground she bounded forward in full charge straight for Moolah Bux. I never saw a more grand but unprovoked attack.

The elephant was startled by the unexpected apparition, and I could not fire, as he swung his mighty head upon one side, but almost immediately he received the tigress upon his long tusks, and with a swing to the right he sent her flying into the deep nullah from which she had just emerged.

Although the trees and shrubs were utterly devoid of leaves, there was unfortunately a large and dense evergreen bush exactly opposite, called karoonda; the tigress sprang up the bank, and disappeared behind this opaque screen before we had time to fire.

The mahout, who was a splendid fellow, perceived this in an instant, and driving his elephant a few paces forward, he turned his head to the right, giving me a beautiful clear sight of the tigress, bounding at full speed about 80 paces distant along the clean surface of parched herbage, up a slight incline.

I heard the crack of Berry's rifle close to my ear, but no effect was produced. The tigress was going directly away from us, and Moolah Bux stood as firm as a rock, without the least vibration. As I touched the trigger, the tigress performed a most perfect somersault, and lay extended on the bare soil with her head turned towards us, and her tail stretched in a straight line exactly in the opposite direction. A great cheer from our men, who had witnessed the flying shot from their position on the knoll, was highly satisfactory.

We now turned back, and at length discovered a spot where the elephant could descend and cross the deep nullah. We then measured the distance--82 yards, as nearly as we could step it. My .577 solid bullet of pure lead had struck the tigress in the back of the neck; it had reduced to pulp several of the vertebrae, and entering the brain, it had divided itself into two portions by cutting its substance upon the hard bones of the broken skull, which was literally smashed to pieces.

I found a sharp-pointed jagged piece of lead, representing about one-third of the bullet, protruding through the right eye-ball; the remaining two-thirds I discovered in the bones of the face by the back teeth, where it was fixed in a misshapen but compact mass among splinters of broken jaw.

Berry's bullet had also struck the tigress, but precisely in the same place, close to the root of the tail, where he had wounded the tiger a short time before. Upon arrival at the camp we skinned the animal, and took special pains to prove the effect of the unfortunate hollow bullet. This was conclusive, and a serious warning.

The penetration was only an inch in depth. We washed the flesh in cold water, and searched most carefully throughout the lacerated wound, which occupied a very small area of about 1 inch. In this we found two pieces of the copper plug which stopped the hole in front of the bullet, together with a number of very minute fragments or flakes of lead; these proved that the extremely hollow projectile had broken up, and was rendered abortive almost immediately upon impact.

The danger of such a bullet was manifest; it was almost as hollow as a hat, and almost as harmless as a hat would be, if thrown at a charging tiger.

This was an interesting exception to the rule that is generally accepted, that a tiger will not attack if left undisturbed. If any person had been walking along the margin of that nullah, he would have been seized and destroyed without doubt by that ferocious beast. There was a case in point last year (1888) in the Reipore district, when Mr. Lawes, the son of the missionary of that name, was killed by a tigress, which was the first to attack. This animal was reported by the natives to be in a certain nullah within a short distance of the camp. The young man, who was quite inexperienced, took a gun, and with a few natives proceeded to the spot on foot. Looking over the edge of the nullah in the hope of finding the tiger lying down, he was suddenly startled by an unexpected attack; a tigress bounded up the steep bank and seized Mr. Lawes before he had time to fire. The animal did not continue the attack, but merely shook him for a few moments, and then retreated to her lair; he was so grievously wounded that he died on the following day, after his arrival in a litter at Reipore.

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 probably 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 without 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 merciless 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 nothing would induce a native to venture upon that fatal road with a single cart; it had therefore become the custom to travel in company with several carts together, as numbers were supposed to afford additional security. This proved to be a vain expectation, as the tiger was in no way perplexed by the arrangement; it bounded from the jungle where it had lain in waiting, and having allowed the train of carts to pass in single file, it seized the driver of the hindmost, and as usual carried the man away, in spite of the cries of the affrighted companions.

Upon several occasions this terrible attack had been enacted, and the traffic was entirely stopped. A large reward was offered by the Government, but without effect; the man-eater never could be found by any of the shikaris.

At length the Superintendent of Police, Mr. Duff, who unfortunately had lost one arm by a gun accident, determined to make an effort at its destruction, and he adroitly arranged a plan that would be a fatal trap, and catch the tiger in its own snare. He obtained two covered carts, each drawn as usual by two bullocks. The leading cart was fitted in front and behind with strong bars of lashed bamboo, which formed an impervious cage; in this the driver was seated, while Mr. Duff himself sat with his face towards the rear, prepared to fire through the bars should the tiger, according to its custom, attack the driver of the rearmost cart. This would have been an exciting moment for the driver, but Mr. Duff had carefully prepared a dummy, dressed exactly to personate the usual native carter; the bullocks, being well trained, would follow closely in the rear of the leading cart, from which a splendid shot would be obtained should the tiger venture upon an attack.

All went well; the road was desolate, bordered by jungle upon one side, and wild grass-land upon the other. They had now reached the locality where the dreaded danger lay, and slowly the carts moved along the road in their usual apathetic manner. This must have been an exciting moment, and Mr. Duff was no doubt thoroughly on the lookout. Suddenly there was a roar; a large tiger bounded from the jungle, and with extraordinary quickness seized the dummy driver from his seat upon the rearmost cart, and dragged the unresisting victim towards the jungle!

Nothing could have been better planned, but one chance had been forgotten, which was necessary to success. No sooner had the tiger roared, and bounded upon the cart, than the affrighted bullocks, terrified by the dreadful sound, at once stampeded off the road, and went full gallop across country, followed by Mr. Duff's bullocks in the wildest panic. It was impossible to fire, and after a few seconds of desperate chariot race, both carts capsized among the numerous small nullahs of the broken ground, where bullocks and vehicles lay in superlative confusion; the victorious man-eater was left to enjoy rather a dry meal of a straw-stuffed carter, instead of a juicy native which he had expected.

This was a disappointment to all parties concerned, except the dummy driver, who was of course unmoved by the failure of the arrangement.

The story is thoroughly authenticated, and has been told to me by the Commissioner of the district exactly as I have described it. The tiger was subsequently killed by a native shikari, when watching from a tree over a tied buffalo.

Although the tiger as a "man-eater" is a terrible scourge, and frequently inflicts incredible loss upon the population of a district, there are tigers in existence which would never attack a human being, although they exist upon the cattle of the villages, and have every opportunity of seizing women and children in their immediate neighbourhood. About nine years ago there was a well-known animal of this character at a place called Bhundra in the Jubbulpur district, which was supposed to have killed upwards of 500 of the natives' cattle. This was a peculiarly large tiger, but so harmless to man that he was regarded merely in the light of a cattle-lifter, and neither woman nor child dreaded its appearance. The natives assured me that during fourteen years it had been the common object of pursuit, both by officers, civilians, and by their own shikaris, but as the tiger was possessed by the devil it was quite impossible to destroy it. This possession by an evil spirit is a common belief, and in this instance the people spoke of it as a matter of course that admitted of no argument; they assured me that the tiger was frequently met by the natives, and that it invariably passed them in a friendly manner without the slightest demonstration of hostility, but that it took away a cow or bullock in the most regular manner every fourth day. It varied its attentions, and having killed a few head of cattle belonging to one village, it would change the locality for a week or two, and, take toll from those within a radius of four or five miles, always returning to the same haunts, and occupying or laying up in the same jungle. The great peculiarity of this particular tiger consisted in the extreme contempt for fire-arms: it exposed itself almost without exception when driven by a line of beaters, and when shot at it simply escaped, only to reappear upon the following day. I was informed that everybody that had gone after it had obtained a shot, but bullets were of no use against a devil, therefore it was always missed.

I was 30 miles distant when I heard of this tiger, and I immediately directed our course towards Bhundra. It was a pretty and interesting place, where the presence of rich hematite iron ore has from time immemorial induced a settlement of smelters. There are jungle-covered low hills upon which large trees are growing, yet all such important mounds are composed of refuse from furnaces, which were worked some hundred years ago.

We arrived there early in May during the hottest season, and the clear stream below the village, rushing over a rocky bed, was a sufficient attraction to entice the animals from a great distance. This would account for the permanent residence of tigers.

The headman was a Thakur, a person of importance, and, as our camp had been sent forward on the previous day, we found everything in readiness upon our arrival; the Thakur and his people were in attendance.

After the usual salutations, I inquired concerning the celebrated tiger: " How long was it since it had been heard of?"

The Thakur placidly inquired of our attendant, and I was informed that three days had elapsed since it killed the last cow; it would therefore in all probability kill another animal to-morrow. There was no excitement visible, but the natives spoke of the tiger as coolly and as unconcernedly as though it had been the postman.

My shikari was present, and I ordered him to tie up a good large buffalo, in prime condition, as the tiger was in the habit of selecting the best cattle for attack. After some delay, an excellent buffalo was brought for inspection, about sixteen months old, in fine condition, and there was little doubt that the tiger would attack, as the period had arrived when they might expect a kill.

The Thakur knew the exact position for the buffalo as bait, and he coolly assured me that the tiger would certainly kill, and that on the following day I should as certainly get a shot, but that the bullet would either fall from the hide, or in some way miss the object. He declared that upon several occasions he had himself obtained a shot, like everybody else, but it was useless, therefore he had long since ceased to take the trouble. This was rather interesting, and added to the excitement.

At daybreak on the following morning my eager shikari with several natives arrived, with news that the buffalo was killed and dragged into a dry bed of a rocky nullah within the jungle; and from the high bank they had seen the tiger devouring the hind-quarters. This was satisfactory, although I was afraid that the tiger might have been disturbed by the inquisitiveness of the people; however, they laughed at the suggestion, and the beaters being ready, we sallied out to make a drive for a hopeless beast that was possessed by the devil.

The natives had been accustomed for so many years to act as beaters for this well-known animal that they had not the slightest nervousness; they knew the ground thoroughly, and the old mucharns, which had been vainly occupied so often, had simply been strengthened, but were ready in their original positions.

We had a large force of men, and several shikaris of long experience in the locality; it was accordingly a wise course to remain silent, as the people would have been confused by unnecessary orders.

Having left the line of men in position, we were taken about a mile in advance. I had given my shikari a double-barrelled gun, and I ordered him to take his stand as instructed by the natives; he accordingly disappeared, I knew not where. We entered the jungle, and presently descended the face of a small hill; then crossing a nullah, I was introduced to my mucharn; this was arranged upon a large tree which grew exactly upon the margin, and commanded not only the deep nullah beneath, but two other smaller nullahs which it met at right angles only a few paces distant. This looked well, as the tiger would probably slink along these secluded watercourses, in which case I should obtain a splendid shot. I climbed from the back of my steady elephant into the lofty perch; the people and animals left me to watch, squatted in a most uncomfortable position, as at that time I had not invented my charming turnstool.

At least an hour passed before I even heard the beaters. At length, amidst the cooing of countless doves, I detected the distant thud, thud of a tom-tom, and then the confused sound of many excited voices.

A few peacocks ran across the nullah; then a small jungle-sheep made the dead leaves rattle as it dashed wildly past; and almost immediately I heard a quick double shot about 200 yards upon my left.

I knew this must be my shikari, Sheik Jhan, and I felt sure that he had missed, as the two shots were in such rapid succession. If the first had struck the object, the second would not have been fired so quickly; if the first had missed, the exceeding quickness of the second shot would suggest confusion.

After waiting at least ten minutes without a sound of any animal, I whistled for the elephant, and descending from my post, I rode towards the position of Sheik Jhan.

A crowd of beaters were assembled, some of whom were engaged in searching for the bullets which he had fired, both of which had missed the tiger when within 12 yards' distance, although marching slowly over the sands and rocks in the bed of a large river; the natives were digging with pointed sticks into a grassy mound of sand.

Sheik Jhan described that an immense tiger had quietly passed close to him, but that no doubt it had a devil, as neither bullet had taken the least effect.

This was the customary termination; therefore no other course was left than to return to camp, the result having verified the prediction of the natives.

We now steered direct for the carcase of the buffalo, about 1 1/4 mile distant. Upon our arrival in the rocky bed of a dry river, where the smell of the tiger was extremely strong, we found the remains of the buffalo, a small portion of which had been eaten; I was assured by those who knew the habits of this tiger that it would return during the night, and that upon the following morning we should certainly obtain another shot.

I amused myself during the day by visiting the various smelting furnaces, all of which were upon a small scale, although numerous, and the method pursued was the same which I have found invariable among savage people. This consists in strong bellows worked by hand, the draught being sustained by continual relief of blowers, while the furnaces are constructed of clay, in the centre of which a small hole contains about a bushel of finely broken ore. Some powdered limestone was used as a flux, and the produce of a hard day's work, with five or six men employed, was about 15 lbs. of iron of the finest quality. This was never actually in a fluid molten state, but it was reduced when at white heat to a soft spongy mass resembling half-melted wax; it was then alternately hammered and again subjected to a white heat, until it arrived at the required degree of purity. The fuel was charcoal prepared from some special wood.

In the evening I pondered over the failure of Sheik Jhan, who declared that the tiger had taken him by surprise, as it had appeared while the beaters were so far distant that he could only just distinguish their voices. I came to the conclusion that this was the reason which explained the general escape of this wary animal, as it moved forward directly that the line of beaters entered the jungle, instead of advancing in the usual manner almost at the end of the beat. The sudden apparition of the tiger before it was expected would probably startle the gunner, who by firing in a hurry would in many instances entail a miss. Having well considered the matter, I determined to make myself more comfortable on the morrow, by padding the mucharn with the quilted pad of the riding elephant, and by sitting astride a tightly bound bundle of mats.

I would not allow any person to visit the carcase on the following morning, as I accepted the natives' assurance that the tiger would return to its kill; I gave orders that all beaters were to be in readiness, and we were to start together.

The morning arrived, and we started with a large force of nearly 200 men.

Upon approaching the spot where the carcase of the buffalo was left, I dismounted, and with only one man, I carefully inspected the position. The body had been dragged away. That was sufficient evidence, and I would not risk a disturbance of the jungle by advancing farther upon the tracks.

In order to maintain the most perfect silence, the beaters were kept at a considerable distance, and the line was to be formed only when a messenger should be sent back to say that the guns were already in position.

The native shikaris now assured me in the most positive manner that the tiger would certainly advance along the nullah, and would pass immediately beneath the tree upon which my mucharn of yesterday was placed.

Upon arrival at the tree I arranged the quilted pad and bundle of rugs in the mucharn, and having instructed my men to clear away a few overhanging creepers that in some places intercepted the line of sight along the nullah, I took my place, having carefully screened myself by intertwining a few green boughs to the height of 2 feet around my hiding-place.

I was comparatively in luxury upon the quilted mattress, and I waited with exemplary patience for the commencement of the beat in solitary quiet. A long time elapsed, as our messenger had to return about a mile before the line should receive orders to advance.

In the meanwhile I studied the ground minutely. I could see for 50 yards along the nullah, also there was a clear view where it joined the other approaches by which the tiger was expected. Exactly in front, on the other side the nullah beneath me, the jungle rose in a tolerably steep inclination upon a slope which continued for several hundred yards. If the tiger were to quit the nullah by which it would approach upon my left, it would probably cross over this hill to ensure a short cut, instead of continuing along the bottom of the nullah; this is frequently the habit of a tiger.

It was difficult to decide whether the beat had commenced, owing to the ceaseless cooing of the numerous doves, but presently a peacock flew into the tree upon my right, and almost immediately two peahens ran over the dead leaves, which made an exciting rustle in the quiet nullah. I felt sure that the beaters were advancing, as the peafowl were disturbed; I therefore kept in readiness, with rifle at full cock, as I felt sure that should the tiger exhibit himself, he would be far in advance of the approaching drive.

My ears were almost pricked with the strain of expectation, and I shortly heard the unmistakable beat of the native tom-tom.

Hardly had the sound impressed itself upon the ear, when a dull but heavy tread upon the brittle leaves which strewed the surface arrested my attention. This was repeated in so slow but regular a manner, that I felt sure it denoted the stealthy step of a tiger. I looked along the different nullahs, but could see nothing. The sound ceased for at least a minute, when once more the tread upon dead leaves decided me that the animal was somewhere not far distant. At this moment I raised my eyes from the nullahs in which he was expected, and I saw, through the intervening leafless mass of bushes upon the opposing slope, a dim outline of an enormous tiger, so indistinct that the figure resembled the fading appearance of a dissolving view. Slowly and stealthily the shadowy form advanced along the face of the slope, exactly crossing my line of sight. This was the "possessed of the devil" that had escaped during so many years, and I could not help thinking that, many persons would risk the shot in its present position, when the bullet must cut through a hundred twigs before it could reach the mark, and thus would probably be deflected. The tiger was now about 40 yards distant, and although the bushes were all leafless, there was one exception, which lay in the direct path the tiger was taking, a little upon my right; this was a very dense and large green bush called karoonda. Exactly to the right, upon the edge of this opaque screen, there was an open space about 9 or 10 feet wide, where a large rotten tree had been blown down; and should the tiger continue its present course it would pass the karoonda bush and cross over the clear opening. I resolved to wait; therefore, resting my left elbow upon my knee, I covered the shoulder of the unconscious tiger, and followed it with the .577 rifle carefully, resolved to exorcise the devil that had for so long protected it.

The shouts of the beaters were now heard distinctly, and the loud tom-tom sounded cheerfully as the line approached. Several times the tiger stopped, and turned its head to listen; then it disappeared from view behind the dense screen of the karoonda bush.

I lowered the rifle, to rest my arm for a moment. So long a time elapsed, that I was afraid the tiger had turned straight up the hill in a direct line with the bush, and thus lost to sight; I had almost come to this sad conclusion, when a magnificent head projected from the dark green bush into the bright light of the open space. For quite 15 seconds the animal thus stood with only the head exposed to view, turned half-way round to listen. I felt quite sure that I could have put a bullet through its brain; but I waited. Presently it emerged, a splendid form, and walked slowly across the open space. At the same moment as I touched the trigger, the tiger reared to its full height upon its hind legs, and with a roar that could have been heard at a couple of miles' distance it seized a small tree within its jaws, and then fell backwards; it gave one roll down the slope, and lay motionless. The devil was cast out.

I never saw such enthusiastic rejoicing as was occasioned by the death of this notorious tiger. The news ran like fire through the neighbouring villages before we had completed the packing of the animal upon Demoiselle. I had no means of weighing this tiger, but it was the heaviest I have ever seen, and although we had four poles beneath its body and a great number of willing men at the extremities, we had great difficulty in loading Demoiselle. By the time we had completed the operation we had a large crowd in attendance, all of whom followed the elephant upon the march towards our camp bearing the body of the tiger, which had been the scourge of their herds during so many years.

At least 300 women and children assembled to satisfy themselves that their enemy was really dead. The women kissed his feet and wiped their eyes with the tip of his tail; for what purpose could not be explained.

As this animal had lived in luxury, it was immensely fat, and we filled numerous chatties with this much-loved grease, to be used as ointment for rheumatic complaints. Unfortunately at that time I had no weighing machine, therefore it was impossible to judge the weight with accuracy, but we computed that the fat alone amounted to 70 lbs. avoirdupois. The tiger was certainly upwards of 500 lbs.

I found the '577 bullet of pure lead had entered exactly at the shoulder joint, which it had smashed to atoms, carrying splinters of bone through the lungs; passing through the ribs upon the opposite side, it had smashed the left shoulder, and was fixed beneath the skin, expanded like a mushroom.

There was no danger to any person employed in this hunt, but I have described it as an apt example of a cunning tiger, which escaped so many attempts upon its life that it was regarded as "uncanny."

My servant Thomas was quite delighted, as he had offered to bet that, "devil or no devil, his master's rifle would kill him, if he got a shot."

It has been generally admitted that the great variety of this species renders a classification almost impossible. Different countries adopt special names for the varieties which inhabit the localities; the leopard may be termed a panther, or cheetah, or wild cat, or even a jaguar, but it remains a leopard, differing in size, colour, and form of spots, but nevertheless a leopard. I shall therefore accept that name as including every variety. Although the genus Felis embraces in its nomenclature all the various representatives, from the lion (_Felis Leo_) to the ordinary domestic cat, the two principal examples of the race, the lion and tiger, are totally distinct from all others in their natural characters. The leopard is far more daring; at the same time it is infinitely more cautious, and difficult to discover.

No lion or tiger can ascend a tree unless the branches spring from within 4 or 5 feet of the ground; even then it would be contrary to the habits of the animal to attempt an ascent, although it might be possible under such favourable circumstances. A leopard will spring up a smooth-barked tree with the agility of a monkey; and there is a small species which almost lives among the branches (F. Macroscelis), from which it leaps upon its prey when passing unconsciously beneath.

An examination of the skins of leopards from various portions of the globe exhibits a striking difference in colouring and quality of fur. We find the snow leopard, which inhabits the Himalayahs and other lofty mountain ranges, with a fur of great value, deep and exceedingly close, while the spots are not determined as distinct black, but are shaded off by gray. This species is generally found at altitudes of from 8000 to 10,000 feet, or even higher. In Manchuria and the Corea there is a species which is unknown in India; this is a large animal, with a peculiarly rich and deep fur when killed during winter; the black spots are exceedingly large, and are formed in rings. A skin in my possession measures 7 ft. 9 in. in length; the tail is full, and the fur long; this is unusually beautiful, and it must have inhabited some lofty altitude where the temperature was generally moderate.

In Africa the leopards have almost invariably solid black spots, very close together upon the back, and becoming less crowded towards the belly and flanks. In Ceylon there are two distinct varieties-the large panther, generally about 7 ft. 6 in. in length, and a smaller leopard, which inhabits the mountains; in that island of misnomers they are both included in the name cheetah.

In India there are several varieties, and the largest is generally distinguished as a panther. There is no animal more commonly distributed in the world than the leopard, and no tropical country is free from this universal pest, unless an island formation has excluded its unwelcome presence.

It is difficult to determine the limit in the gradation of size at which this animal merges from the leopard into the wild cat. The varieties of cats are so numerous that I do not pretend to describe them; some are of sufficient importance to be classed among the smaller leopards, while others are no larger than the ordinary domestic cat. These vary through every shade of feline colouring, from spots to stripes, or to a fulvous brown similar to the tawny coat of a lioness; but, notwithstanding the difference in shades and spots, in cats and in the true leopard or panther the character is the same. They are all cunning, ferocious, and destructive, and I believe that far more cattle and goats are killed by leopards throughout the Indian Empire than by the usually accredited malefactor, the tiger.

The largest and most beautifully marked of the leopards is the jaguar of South America. This is the size of a small tigress, and is more heavily framed than any of the leopards; the head is especially large, and the animal might almost be termed a spotted tiger. The rings are peculiarly marked, and waved instead of being circular.

The cheetah or hunting leopard is a distinct species, and although classed among the leopards, it is altogether different, both in habits and appearance; the claws, although rather long, are not retractile, neither are they curved to the same extent as all others of the genus Felis, but they resemble somewhat the toe-nails of the dog. I shall accordingly separate this animal from the ordinary class of leopards, and give it a separate existence as an object of natural history.

The panther or larger variety of leopard is about 7 ft. 6 in. in length, and has been known to approach closely upon 8 feet, but this would be an unusual size. This animal is exceedingly powerful, with massive neck and strongly developed legs. The weight of a fine specimen would be from about 160 lbs. to 170 lbs. Although heavy, there is no animal more active, except the monkey, and even those wide-awake creatures are sometimes caught, by the ever-watchful panther. Stories are told of accidents that have occurred when the hunter has been pulled out of his tree, from which imaginary security he was watching for his expected game. It is impossible to deny such facts, although they are fortunately rare exceptions to the general rule; but there can be no doubt that a panther or leopard would attack upon many occasions when a tiger would prefer to slink away.

The habits of the leopard are invariably the same, it prowls stealthily about sunset and throughout the night in search of prey. It seizes by the throat and clings with tenacious claws to the animal's neck, until it succeeds either in breaking the spine, or in strangling its victim, should the bone resist its strength. When the animal is dead, the leopard never attacks the hind-quarters first, according to the custom of the tiger, but it tears the belly open, and drags out all the viscera, making its first meal upon the heart, lungs, liver, and the inside generally. It then retreats to some neighbouring hiding-place, and, if undisturbed, it will return to its prey a little after sundown on the following day.

It is far more difficult to circumvent a leopard than a tiger; the latter seldom or never looks upwards to the trees, therefore it does not perceive the hidden danger when the hunter is watching from his elevated post; but the leopard approaches its kill in the most wary and cautious manner, crouching occasionally, and examining every yard of the ground before it, at the same time scanning the overhanging boughs, which it so frequently seeks as a place of refuge. Upon many occasions, when the disappointed watcher imagines that the leopard has forsaken its kill, and that his patience will be unrewarded, the animal may be closely scanning him from the dense bush, under cover of which it was noiselessly approaching. In such a case the leopard would retreat as silently as it had advanced, and the watcher would return home from a fruitless vigil, under the impression that the leopard had never been within a mile of his position. One of the cleverest birds in creation is the ordinary crow of all tropical countries, which lives well by the exercise of its wits; nothing escapes the observation of this bird, and it is the first to discover the body of any animal that may have been killed. Should one or more of these birds be perched in the trees after sunset, near the carcase of an animal, and should it utter a "caw," when at that late hour it should have gone to roost, you may be assured that it has espied an approaching leopard, although it may be invisible to your own sight. The watcher should be careful not to move, but to redouble his vigilance in keeping a bright look-out, as the leopard will be equally upon its guard should it hear the cry of the warning crow.

There is very little sport afforded by this stealthy animal, and it is almost useless to organize a special hunt, as it is impossible to form any correct opinion respecting its locality after it has killed an animal. It may either be asleep in some distant ravine, or among the giant branches of some old tree, or beneath the rocks in some adjacent hill, or retired within a cave, but it has no special character or custom that would guide the hunter in arranging a beat according to the usual rules in the case of tigers. The leopard is merely a nuisance, and as such it should be treated as vermin, and exterminated if possible.

There are various forms of traps adopted by the natives in different countries; the most certain is the old-fashioned fall, similar upon a large scale to the common fall mouse-traps. These should be permanent fixtures in various portions of the jungles, and they should be baited whenever the tracks of a leopard may be discovered in the neighbourhood. The trap is formed by an oblong 10 feet by 3 of very strong and straight palisades, sunk 2 feet deep in the ground, and well pounded in with stones. These should be 5 feet high, with a fall door at one end. The top should be closely secured with heavy cross-pieces of parallel logs, well weighted with big stones.

The rear of this trap should be partitioned with bamboo cross-bars to form a cage, in which either a goat or a village dog should be tied as a living bait. Leopards are particularly fond of dogs, and the advantage of such a bait during the night consists in the certainty that the dog, finding itself alone in a strange place, will howl or bark, and thereby attract the leopard. The partition must be made of sufficient strength to protect the animal from attack. In Africa the natives form a trap by supporting the fallen trunk of a large tree in such a manner that it falls upon the leopard as it passes beneath to reach the bait. This is very effective in crushing the animal, but it is exceedingly dangerous, like all other African traps, as it would kill any person or other creature that should attempt to pass. Newera Ellia, the mountain sanatorium of Ceylon, was always well furnished with leopard-traps upon the permanent system, and the leopards, which were at one time a scourge of the neighbourhood, were considerably reduced. In 1846 I introduced English breeds of cattle and sheep, and started an agricultural settlement at that delightful mountain refuge from tropical heat; but the leopard became our greatest enemy, and although the cattle were well housed at night, and carefully watched when at pasture during the day, our losses were severe. I observed a peculiarity in the attacks by leopards; they seldom appeared upon a bright summer day, but during the rainy season, when the wind was howling across the plain, and driving the cold mist and rain, the cattle were off their guard, and generally turned their tails to the chilly blast. It was invariably during such weather that the leopards attacked. The watchman was probably wrapped in his blanket, wet, and shivering beneath a tree, instead of remaining on the alert, and this auspicious moment was selected by the leopard for a successful stalk upon the unsuspecting herd. I have frequently lost both cows and sheep, that were attacked and killed in broad daylight, and the leopards were generally of sufficient strength to break the neck of a full-grown beast. It should be remembered that the native cattle are much smaller than those of Europe, and I do not think it would be possible for a leopard to dislocate the neck of any English cow. An example occurred when unfortunately a valuable Ayrshire cow was attacked, and the leopard completely failed in the usual dexterous wrench, but the throat was so mangled that the cow died within a few days, although the leopard was driven away by the watchman almost immediately upon its onset.

The wounds from the claws of a leopard are exceedingly dangerous, as the animal is in the habit of feeding upon carcases some days after they have been killed; the flesh is at that time in an incipient stage of decomposition, and the claws, which are used to hold the flesh while it is torn by the teeth and jaws, become tainted and poisoned sufficiently to ensure gangrene by inoculation. The claws of all carnivora are five upon each of the fore feet, including the useful dew-claw, which is used as a thumb, and thoroughly secures the morsel while the animal is pulling and tearing away the muscles from the bones.

A wound from either a tiger or a leopard should be thoroughly syringed with cold water mixed with 1/35th part of carbolic acid, and this syringing process should be continued three times a day whenever the wound is dressed. Nothing should be done but to wrap the wound with linen rag soaked in the same solution, and keep it continually wetted.

The daring of a leopard during night is extraordinary. I have frequently during wet weather discovered in the early morning a regular beaten track in the soft earth, where a leopard has been prowling round and round a cattle-shed containing a herd of animals, vainly seeking for an entrance.

At one time my own blacksmith had a nocturnal adventure with a leopard which afforded a striking example of audacity. A native cow had a calf; this being her first-born, the mother was exceedingly vicious, and it was unsafe for a stranger to approach her, especially as her horns were unusually long, and pointed. The cattle-shed was scarped out of the hillside, and was within a few feet of the blacksmith's house. The roof was thatched. During the night, a leopard, which smelt the presence of the cow and calf, mounted the roof of the shed and proceeded to force an entrance by scratching through the thatch. The cow at the same time had detected the presence of the leopard, and, ever mindful of her calf, she stood ready to receive the intruder, with her sharp horns prepared for its appearance. It is supposed that upon the leopard's descent it was at once pinned to the ground, before it had time to make its spring.

The noise of a tremendous struggle aroused the blacksmith, who, with a lantern in his hand, opened the cattle-shed door and discovered the cow in a frantic state of rage, butting and tossing some large object to and fro, which evidently had lost all power of resistance. This was the leopard in the last gasp, having been run through the body by the ready horns of the courageous mother, whose little calf was nestled in a corner, unmindful of the maternal struggle.

No sooner had the blacksmith appeared upon the scene, than the character of the conflict changed, and the cow, regarding him in the light of a fresh enemy, left the crumpled body of her antagonist and charged straight at her proprietor, who dropped his lantern and flew to the arms of his wife, whom he had left in bed. After some delay, during which the courage of all parties was restored, excepting that of the crippled leopard, the cow was appeased, and a shot from a pistol through the head of the enemy closed the episode.

Every resident in India is aware of the depredations committed by this pestilent class of the carnivora. Lions and tigers may be dangerous in the jungles in every country which they inhabit, but they never invade the actual premises; it is exactly there where the leopard is to be feared. Nothing is too small or too large for its attack; from a fowl upon the roost to a cow in the pasturage, all that belongs to the domestic stock is fair game for the wily leopard.