THE MAN-EATER OF BELKHERA. 



Hidden away in a corner of the little-known province 



of B , and about one hundred miles due west of the 



capital of the Central Provinces, lies the Httle station 

 of let me call it " Jungly pur." 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 plenti- 

 ful, 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 tur 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 common, and in those good old times they were even 

 known to enter the native bazaars, and sometimes the 

 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 

 of the charm of its situation has in consequence departed. 

 The ploughshare has bitten deeply into the once jungle- 



