MANY

ANY of those who live at home at ease, and whose acquaintance with foreign lands is limited to the information derived from books, some of which contain stories of wonderful import and more than doubtful veracity, doubtless imagine that it is a comparatively common occurrence for wild beasts to find their way into towns and villages which are more or less remote from their native jungles. Certainly wild animals commit extensive depredations on the flocks and herds of the villages situated in the heart of the forests they infest. Tigers and panthers, in such localities, will not infrequently enter the precincts of hamlets in the dead of night, and sometimes even in broad daylight, in search of prey, whether human or otherwise, but the man - eater is exceptional. Such occurrences I have met with during a long residence in India and during considerable peregrinations in wild and remote parts of the country, where the jungles were infested by the feræ naturæ. But that a tiger should enter a cantonment, and take up a position in a garden attached to a vacant house, and this at a distance of many long leagues from the haunts of such animals, is a novelty quite unprecedented in my experience with these animals, or in the experience of anyone I have met with. Had I heard such a tale a month ago, I would not merely have regarded it with a certain amount of distrust, unless very well authenticated, but I would have looked upon it as a story only worthy of an Eastern De Rougemont. Yet such an unusual occurrence took place on Nov. 18

last, in the cantonment of Jalna, one of stations of the Hyderabad Contingent, in the dominions of the Nizam. Jalna is now occupied by one native infantry regiment only, but that it was formerly a place of considerable importance is testified by the remains of old barracks and regimental lines which abound in the place, and by the many tombstones in the cemetery, which mark the last resting-places of those who have died here in exile. Among others there is a memorial to a young officer who was destroyed by a tiger some ten miles from the station during the early part of the present century, but these animals have been unknown in the vicinity for many decades past.

Jalna is, moreover, notable as having been taken by a detachment of Wellesley's force shortly before the battle of Assaye, while that famous and decisive action itself took place only twenty-eight miles. north of the cantonment. The station itself is picturesque and well wooded, being planted with fine trees, for whosewelcome shade we have to thank our predecessors. The country around is a howling desert an almost treeless. wilderness, where water is scarce and the country generally is characterised by stretches of bleak and arid plain and ranges of gaunt and stony hills.

Such, then, is the scene of the story I am about to relate, so it will be seen that the adventure to be narrated took place amid sufficiently interesting surroundings. In India we have but a short twilight, and after the sun has sunk out of sight in the west it grows rapidly dark. In November it is quite dark soon after six

had very likely seen a wild cat of one of the larger species. There are, however, some panthers in the vicinity of the station within a distance of some seven or eight miles, so I took my rifle and went to the place, accompanied by Lieutenant A. R. Burton, of my regiment, and several men, including my orderly, Shaik Karim, a Mohammedan of the Deccan. On arrival at the place indicated, we cocked our rifles and looked carefully round, but could see nothing; nor could my orderly, whom I sent up a tree, distinguish any

and disappeared in the adjoining garden. The whole thing was SO sudden and unexpected that it was impossible to fire a shot, even had it been advisable to do so. But to shoot at all would have been dangerous. We were surrounded on three sides by houses, while on the fourth side, within a short distance, the band was discoursing sweet music, the ladies of the station were playing tennis, and a party of officers and men was engaged in a game of hockey, in complete ignorance of the tragedy that was being enacted close to

them, for the roar of the tiger was drowned by the strains of the band. And tragedy there was. Shortly after the disappearance of the tiger a man came up to say

wild beast had last been seen, taking with us the bull-terrier Sal, who belonged to Lieutenant Burton. It was now getting dark, and we could not see the sights of our rifles, but we expected that the animal might charge and so give us a close shot. Sal ran on ahead, and after some barking, turned the tiger out of a hedge, and the beast galloped across us followed by the dog and a general fusilade. In the darkness it was difficult to shoot straight, and the bullets did not take proper effect, although the creature was evidently wounded. It now took refuge in a thick part of the hedge, whence neither our near approach nor the barking of the dog. was successful in dislodging it. It had by this time become quite dark, and we were reluctantly obliged to abandon the pursuit.

Next morning found us on the spot at daybreak. Blood was discovered, proving that we were right in the supposition that

THE ORDERLY WHO WAS WOUNDED

BY THE TIGER.

This photograph was taken nearly a month after the event, but nevertheless shows how deep the wounds were. that Shaik Karim had been mauled by the beast. The intelligence was scarcely credible, but the man had, indeed, been seized and badly bitten in the upper arm, whilst a long, deep wound in his back testified to the sharpness of the tiger's claws. The beast must have seized him for a moment in passing. The wounded man was borne off to be attended to, and a cry was raised and taken up on all sides that a tiger was afoot. People scattered in all directions-some seeking safety in flight, although a place of safety was somewhat difficult to find, for no one knew where the tiger was, and they might rush into his jaws, while others went to fetch their rifles. It was some time before order was restored, and the front cleared as far as possible. A number of officers assembled, and we proceeded towards the place where the

BACK VIEW OF THE WOUNDED ORDERLY. The deep mark in his back was made by the tiger's claws.

the animal was wounded, whilst tracks at water in a nullah about a mile from the station showed the direction he had taken. However, a long search in the grass and

The tiger had now become a danger to the country. He had apparently been without food for many days, and might take to man-eating. The villagers were afraid to go to work in the fields or to leave the precincts of their habitations after nightfall. On Nov. 26 I started out to hunt him down, accompanied by Lieutenant Lane, a native officer, and some men of my regiment, not forgetting to take the good dog Sal. That afternoon I found old marks of the tiger at water about two miles from camp, which we had pitched some seven miles out, but the tracks could not possibly be followed on the hard and