THE TIGER. 59 



Hills, on the north-eastern frontier, will be found of more than 

 common interest. " The station of Cherrapunji," writes the 

 narrator, " stands upon a plateau overlooking the plains, sur- 

 rounded on the three sides by well-wooded ravines, the slopes, 

 or rather cliffs, of which are so precipitous that Deer are sel- 

 dom found there, and though the Black Bear now and again 

 turns up he generally prefers other lines of country. The 

 visitor to Cherra, in the cold weather, would have been puzzled 

 to account for Tigers patronising the place, but that is easily 

 explained. As the rains set in, almost the whole of the graz- 

 ing-grounds along the foot of the hills are submerged, though 

 the houses, when not built on piles, are raised on mounds of 

 mud some three to four feet in height, but it would be im- 

 possible to keep cattle in the limited area of the raised baree. 

 As the rains approached, therefore, the cattle were driven up 

 to Cherra, upon whose desolate plateau a few inches of rain 

 effects a wonderful transformation scene. These herds were 

 increased by the return of the garrisons of the outposts and 

 stockades for the rains, who also brought their Cows with 

 them, and, as most of the Sepoys owned at least two head, the 

 number of cattle that came up for the benefit of the grass that 

 sprouted so magically after the first shower could not have 

 been far short of 1,200 to 1,500. Hence, washed out of his 

 lair below, and the hillsides being barren, the Tiger has no 

 alternative but to follow his commissariat supplies up the 

 mountain ; and numerous as these brutes were, it is a marvel 

 that they did not show up in greater force, considering the 

 ample supply of provisions available. The area of the plateau 

 is restricted, and as the central portion was occupied by 

 houses, the grazing- grounds were mostly on the edges of the 

 ravines. On the east side Tigers would lie just below the 

 level, and creeping to the summit with the mists that roll up 

 from the valleys when the hot sun shone down on the sodden 



