Talking about tigers, they aren’t nearly as prevalent as I thought.  I had an idea they were prowling all over India waiting to spring, but one man told me he had been in India fifteen years and had never seen one.  Boggley came on one once and took it for a cow—­short-sighted Boggley!  Dr. Russel says there was a man-eating tiger in the district lately, and a reward was offered for its capture.  A young engineer sallied forth to slay.  He directed the natives to dig a pit near where the tiger was known to be and cover it with branches, and the next day went and found it had walked into the trap.  The natives removed the branches, the gallant engineer approached, but they had dug the pit on a slope, and the tiger came walking up to meet him!

I would rather like to see a wild beast from a safe distance.  A native came into hospital only yesterday with his arm all torn and mauled by a leopard, but, though I have walked miles through the jungle, I have seen nothing more fearsome than a black-beetle, and that I might have seen at home.  The Santals are very keen shikaris, and go regularly to hunt armed with bows and arrows and a few guns.

One morning I watched them start.  With them was a youth home on holiday from a situation in Calcutta—­I liked his idea of a shooting costume.  He wore a pair of bright blue socks and yellow shoes, a pink shirt worn over a dhoti, and over that a well-cut tweed coat (evidently an old one of his master’s), a high linen collar, but no tie, a straw hat and enormous blue spectacles.  The last-named were evidently worn more for effect than by order of the oculist, for the youth removed them when the time came to use his gun.

27th.

My home mail has just come in.  I like to be in the verandah to see the dak-runner bring in the letters.  I hear him long before I see him, for he carries a stick with jingling bells at the end to frighten away animals as he comes through the jungle.  Mine was a particularly nice mail to-day—­good news from everyone.  You have no idea how out here one loves to get letters, and how one gloats over every scrap of news.  Do you really look forward to my letters?  Your letters are the greatest comfort to me; indeed, I can’t imagine what it would be like without them.

I must finish this up, for the mail goes to-morrow.  My time here is nearly run.  I hear from Boggley that he expects to arrive to-morrow, and we depart together the next day.  I shall be sorry and glad—­both.  Sorry to leave Takai and the dear people, more than glad to be with Boggley.

Robert has just come in, excitedly clutching the tail of a lizard.  He had caught it going up the wall, and the lizard had wriggled away and left its tail.  Now I suppose it will perseveringly grow another.

Robert is holding the tail before Jean that she may see it wriggle, and saying, “God made it so. Wasn’t it clever?” The dear babies!  How I shall miss them!