CHAPTER XXX 



Remnants of Babajee gang — Joined by the Barwattis — A formidable coali- 

 tion — Rounding them up — Another European officer shot dead — The 

 gang finally destroyed — More about tigers — A tigress and three cubs — 

 Monkeys announce their presence — I shoot the tigress — Driving out the 

 cubs — Two rolled over— Beaters dispose of third — Wounded tigers 

 often lost — Cases in point — (1) A tiger on an island — The beat begun 

 — A momentary glimpse — Snap-shooting — Crashing through the jungle 

 — Mysterious disappearance — " Here he is ! " — Found dead under 

 water ! — A mangy specimen — A remarkable dying effort — (2) Another 

 instance — Three tigers put up — Two soon disposed of — In pursuit of 

 the third — Marked down — A snap-shot again — Concluded he was 

 missed — Further search abandoned — Found dead the next day ! — 

 Man-eating tigers — Happily now rare — Indenting on ancient history — 

 Alarming news at 5 a.m. — Camp in transit — Attacked by man-eater 

 — Disobedience of orders — A bullock driver carried off — Panic- 

 stricken servants — Pursuit taken up — The body found half eaten — 

 Man-eating tigers on high road — The traffic held up — Seven hundred 

 human victims ! — ^Mail cart attacked — Tiger jumps from a hillock 

 — Horse badly scarred — ShoA\-n to travellers as a curiosity. 



The members of Babaji's gang, who had escaped when 

 their leader was arrested, though scattered for the time, 

 soon came together again ; and being joined by remnants 

 of other broken-up gangs, and subsequently by some 

 Barwattis,* became a formidable coalition, and for many 

 years gave considerable trouble to the police. 



Many of the members being practically outlaws already 

 were desperate men, to whom a crime more or less mattered 

 little, for in any case, if arrested, they knew their punish- 

 ment was certain ; hence, on the principle of " as well be 

 hung for a sheep as a lamb," they continued to pursue 

 their criminal courses. 



The police, assisted by the military, had been indefati- 

 gable in their pursuit of the gang, but were greatly handi- 

 capped by the conduct of the villagers, who were in such 



* A criminal tribe peculiar to Goozerat. 

 230 



