The mangled remains of his poor pony told him that the wild animal
had been a very famished tiger. B. returned to his own bungalow a
wiser man, and told his servants that, had he taken their advice, he
would not have suffered such an adventure or the loss of his pony. He
rewarded the villagers for their kindness and hospitality and for a
long time his escape was the talk of the district.



A Cachar Tiger

In the province of Assam lies a fertile and picturesque valley called
Cachar. Shut in on north, south and east by lofty hills, this valley
remained hidden for centuries and was never conquered by any of the
Mahommedan rulers of India.

Here a race of aboriginal kings held sway, and it was the East India
Company who first became masters of this hilly corner of Bengal. In
1830, the last of the old Cachari kings died without heir, and
"Company Bahadoor" took possession of the little kingdom.

In 1855, the discovery of the tea-plant, growing wild in the jungles,
opened out a new industry, and soon the low-lying hills, knolls and
undulating plains of the little valley became gradually clear of
jungle, and covered instead with row after row of carefully-kept and
trim tea bushes. To-day acres upon acres of tea are grown in Cachar;
and the inland steamers, which ply all through the rainy season up
and down the wide-rolling stream of the river Barak, bring down for
export millions of pounds of tea for the "cheering cup".