shing noise coming towards us through the forest, and then caught a
glimpse of an accourie flying for dear life before a black tiger. Just
after they passed the accourie gave a heart-rending scream as the tiger
seized it, but on my men rushing up to the spot, the tiger left its prey
and fled. When picked up the accourie was quite dead, but on examination
showed no marks whatever of the tiger's teeth. The tiger had evidently
killed it by springing upon it with its legs close together, the weight
of its body giving such a blow that the accourie's life was fairly
knocked out. The men found its dead body just beyond a large log,
slightly raised from the ground, under which it had bolted and lost some
headway, while the cunning tiger took the log in its stride and so came,
as it intended, on the poor accourie's back, with the result we have
seen.
On returning to the head of the New River for provisions, we were
followed for many miles by a tiger, for on going back we saw its huge
tracks in the swampy places on our path.
With good hunting-dogs fine jaguar- and puma-hunting might be obtained
on the banks of this river, where without doubt they are exceedingly
numerous. Many of the Indian hunting-dogs trained for deer or tapir will
hunt tigers. When on the track of either of these animals, should they
come across the scent of a tiger, their eager and confident manner of
pressing on after the game is immediately changed, and with hair on
their backs erect they become cautious and nervous to a degree, jumping
at even the snapping of a twig. Abandoning the hunt they take up the
tiger's track and follow it. But should the huntsman call them from it,
or not cheer them on with his voice from time to time, they exhibit
great fear, and keeping close to his heels cannot be induced to hunt any
more in that district for the day. On the contrary, if allowed to follow
the tiger, they track it up with caution, being fully aware of the
cunning dodge practised by that animal, which is, when the dog is close
at hand, to spring to one side and lie in ambush till it passes, when
with one spring the dog is seized.
Ordinary dogs would fall a prey to this trap, but not the self-taught
tiger dogs. Their fine powers of scent warn them of their near approach
to the quarry, when they advance with great caution, never failing to
detect the tiger in time, and when once their eye is upon their enemy it
has no chance to escape. In its pride of strength
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