he other arm of the bend, each
carried his raft across the neck or isthmus, where a similar fording was
made, that brought them once more on the path they were following. Thus
every day--almost every hour--our travellers were astonished by some new
feat of their hunter-guide, and some new purpose to which the noble
bamboo could be applied.

Still another astonishment awaited them. Ossaroo had yet a feat in
store, in the performance of which the bamboo was to play a conspicuous
part; and it chanced that upon the very next day, an opportunity
occurred by which the hunter was enabled to perform this feat to the
great gratification not only of his travelling companions, but to the
delight of a whole village of natives, who derived no little benefit
from the performance.

I have already said, that there are many parts of India where the people
live in great fear of the tigers--as well as lions, wild elephants,
panthers, and rhinoceroses. These people have no knowledge of proper
fire-arms. Some, indeed, carry the clumsy matchlock, which, of course,
is of little or no service in hunting; and their bows, even with
poisoned arrows, are but poor weapons when used in an encounter with
these strong savage beasts.

Often a whole village is kept in a state of terror for weeks or months
by a single tiger who may have made his lair in the neighbourhood, and
whose presence is known by his repeated forays upon the cows, buffaloes,
or other domesticated animals of the villagers. It is only after this
state of things has continued for a length of time, and much loss has
been sustained, that these poor people, goaded to desperation, at length
assemble together, and risk an encounter with the tawny tyrant. In such
encounters human lives are frequently sacrificed, and generally some one
of the party receives a blow or scratch from the tiger's paw, which
maims or lames him for the rest of his days.

But there is still a worse case than even this. Not infrequently the
tiger, instead of preying upon their cattle, carries off one of the
natives themselves; and where this occurs, the savage monster, if not
pursued and killed, is certain to repeat the offence. It is strange,
and true as strange, that a tiger having once fed upon human flesh,
appears ever after to be fonder of it than of any other food, and will
make the most daring attempts to procure it. Such tigers are not
uncommon in India, where they are known among the natives by