THE MAN-EATER OF BELKHERA 



HIDDEN away in a corner of the little-known 

 province of Berar, and about one hundred 

 miles due west of the capital of the Central 

 Provinces, lies the little station of "Jung- 

 lypur." Lying in the terai of the Satpura mountains, 

 Junglypur faces the steep wall-like ramparts of this range 

 of hills at a distance of some five miles. Behind, to the 

 southward, lie extensive, level, and fertile plains, of cotton- 

 producing fame. 



In the old days the jungle almost surrounded the little 

 cantonment, flowing down from the hills over the terai 

 country, unbroken save for a few patches of rough cultiva- 

 tion. In those times game of all kinds was very plentiful, 

 and within easy reach of the station. It is on record that 

 an officer of one of the native infantry regiments at 

 Junglypur bagged a tiger in a field of ttir on the spot now 

 occupied by the rifle range ; while a party of sportsmen 

 shot three tigers before breakfast in the then dense coverts 

 of the Chandrabhaga river, which issues from the hills six 

 miles to the west. In the jungles along the lofty Bairat 

 ranges bison used to be plentiful, and sambar and bears 

 were everywhere abundant. Panthers of course were com- 

 mon, and in those good old times they were even known 

 to enter the native bazaars, and sometimes the barracks 

 or Lines, in search of dogs, goats, or other prey. 



Time has of course altered all this, its effects being felt 

 even in an out-of-the-way place like Junglypur, and much 



