146 HOURS WITH NATURE. 



neigbouring villages. Hundred upon hundreds of cattle 

 died every week. The people were powerless to arrest 

 the progress of the disease, and suffered stolidly what they 

 could not remedy. There was, however, one man who 

 did not lose a single head of cattle, and that man was 

 Rajararn. From the very commencement of the 

 outbreak, he adopted energetic and efficient means to 

 save his worldly wealth. He built some temporary huts 

 in an isolated tract of land, and removed his stock 

 there; kept up an almost continuous fumigation for 

 weeks together, and cut off all communication with 

 his house which stood within the affected area. In- 

 order to enable his animals if attacked, the better to 

 withstand the depressing influence of the malady, he 

 added to their liberal diet such stuffs as experience and 

 the knowledge of cattle had suggested to him. The result 

 justified the means : except a few cases of diarrhoea? 

 nothing serious happened to his stock. This escape, 

 which seemed miraculous to the ignorant and superstitous, 

 was naturally talked about a great deal ; and while lazy and 

 foolish people ascribed it to his incantations and super- 

 natural powers, and good luck in general," the intelligent 

 portion of the community rightly set it down to his 

 superior and sympathetic treatment of his farm stock. 

 Most beneficial has been the result of Rajaram's good 

 example ; a decided change for the better is noticeable 

 in Basantapore and its neighbourhood in the treatment 

 of cattle. 



Rajaram is never weary of expatiating upon the 



