The Man-eater of Belkhera* $7 



when satisfied by patient observation that he can do so with 

 comparative impunity, and spreading his depredations in 

 the human line over wide areas. Between times he must, 

 therefore, fall back on his normal habits feeding on jungle- 

 pigs, village goats, cattle, &c. These habits it is, prob- 

 ably, which make it so difficult to tell whether the real 

 offender has been brought to book. 



One evening in the cold weather a Korku appeared at 

 my bungalow, and informed me that a man from his village, 

 Belkhera, had been caught by tiger or sher, of course 

 while cutting bamboos up the precipitous sides of the 

 Mahadeo khora. He was quite sure that it was a tiger : had 

 seen it looking at him from some rocks, and its "pugs" 

 were so big spreading out his hands as he spoke : so I was 

 equally certain that it was a panther. 



Belkhera is a small Korku village four miles from Jungly- 

 pur, and at the foot of the hills. It is situated on the banks 

 of a large ndla that runs up for nearly four miles into the 

 heart of the mountains. At the far end of this long deep 

 glen is the aforesaid Mahadeo hhora, or ravine. Nothing, 

 therefore could be attempted that night, especially as there 

 was no moon. 



Next morning, however, I rode out to Belkhera, before it 

 was light, and the first streaks of dawn found us half-way 

 up its long glen. It was bitterly cold, and the deep-sunk 

 valley was drenched in heavy dew. The little jungle track 

 lay alternately over the trap boulders of the shrunken stream 

 and through long patches of red rausa grass. To the right 

 and left the hillsides soared almost sheerly up, clothed with 

 bamboo thickets, and thickly dotted with innumerable salai 

 trees, which at this season were shedding their autumnal* 

 tinted leaves. High over the surrounding spurs the curious 

 pyramid- shaped peak of the Ch6r Pahar ( Robbers' HU1) 

 & 



