101 



BEEMA, THE BAGH-MAREE (TIGER- 

 SLAYER). 



' I WONDER how you can tolerate such fellows. 

 I would whip them out of the place. They are 

 the curse of all shikar, with their cowardly 

 method of killing tigers. There will soon be no 

 tigers left to shoot if you encourage these 

 rascals." So said a planter friend who was staying 

 with me, to whom I had introduced " my friend 

 the bagh-maree " (tiger-slayer). Now, I do not in 

 any way share these sentiments, but on the 

 contrary I regard the bagh-maree as a most 

 useful member of society. Beema, the bagh-maree, 

 has to my knowledge accounted for two panthers, 

 two cheetahs (hunting leopards), one tiger and 

 one bear. Their skins now adorn the verandah 

 of my bungalow. These animals were all killed 

 within a mile of the village of Somij (Chota 

 Nagpore district), and in about two months' time. 

 When it is remembered how vast is the number 

 of cattle and goats annually destroyed by tigers 

 and panthers in India, it will be seen that my 

 friend Beema is anything but deserving of the 

 hard words used by my European shikaree friend. 

 In the last twelve months twenty-six head of 

 cattle had been killed within two miles of my 



