210 ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 



been decimated. Famine years are responsible for turning 

 many ordinary and hardly feared tigers into man-eaters. 

 Of this we had proof enough, it being only what might be 

 expected at such times ; for then many chances offer them- 

 selves in the weaklings crawling about, or even lying half- 

 dead on the roads by dozens. 



It is said that feeding on human flesh produces scurvy ; 

 that such has been seen amongst famine-maddened, ship- 

 wrecked people reduced to that last resource. It would seem 

 to have something of the same effect on animals ; at any 

 rate, man-eating tigers are invariably found to be diseased 

 and mangy. 



The tiger episode ended, and the village tranquillised, 

 knowing it could now sleep in peace (every man, woman, and 

 child in it our bounden slaves), we left, to continue our 

 journey homewards, another couple of days' journey 

 through the prettiest bamboo-country imaginable ; while 

 our friend returned to Ooty with his seedy-looking but most 

 glorious trophy, showing as it did of what manner of monster 

 the world was rid. 



It was hot travelling, so we rested in the shade by day ; 

 but though our route was a pleasant and picturesque one, 

 it took us through a neighbourhood with uncomfortable and 

 creepy associations before reaching our destination. This 

 was the scene of a mysterious affair that had never been 

 cleared up, though many theories were started, and an 

 exhaustive search made at the time it occurred, and for 

 long afterwards. It seems that a young Englishman of the 

 Survey Department, but recently joined, had ridden down 

 from Ooty by this very Ghat, and along the same road as 

 that on which we were now travelling ; he was walking, his 

 horse being led by the syce following closely. He was an 

 enthusiastic botanist, and on reaching a certain point he 

 bade the man stay where he was, saying that he himself 

 was going to hunt about for specimens near by, and strolled 



