These forest tigers are rarely dangerous to man unless attacked, and in my part of the country they never are so.  However, there is no rule without an exception, and when making this assertion to some natives in my neighbourhood many years ago, one of them said, “I am not so sure about that.  A tiger ate an aunt of mine not far from here some years ago.”  But that is the only instance I ever heard of in my neighbourhood, and even by tradition there were no instances of deaths from tigers, and it is also remarkable how in some cases tigers, when there is plenty of game, live for years near cattle without touching them.  I was particularly struck with this in the case of a family who lived quite isolated at the crests of the Ghauts, and the head of it told me that, though tigers were often about they never touched his cattle.  There is an amusing story told in “My Indian Journal"[20] (a charming book which everyone should read who is interested in India) of a native who was ready enough it appears to track down tigers to be shot by others, but who by no means wished that any of his family should interfere.  On one occasion Colonel Campbell found him belabouring his son with a stout bamboo, and on inquiry learned that the said son had killed a tiger.  The father said it was all very well for people who lived in the open country, but with him the case was quite different, as he lived on sociable terms with the tigers in the jungle, had never injured them nor they him, and while there was peace between them he could go amongst them without fear, but now that his rascally son had picked a quarrel with them, there was no knowing where the feud might end.

I have mentioned a case of tigers not interfering with cattle when there was plenty of game, but I should add that this was many years ago, when the natives had not so many guns as they have now.  The rice-fields have been abandoned and the house of course deserted, and of recent years the tigers have changed their ways, for, ten years ago, I killed a tigress close to the site of the abandoned house, in the neighbourhood of which it had been killing cattle.

I have said that forest tigers are rarely dangerous to man, and by that I mean the tigers inhabiting the long range of forests stretching along the south-western side of India at varying distances from the sea, but in the interior of Mysore very dangerous man-eaters have existed, and I have been shown places which people made up parties to cross.  One man-eater, at least—­for it was assumed that the deaths were the work of one animal—­killed, I am informed on good authority, about 500 people.  Two tigers were killed at one time, and after that the slaughter of human beings ceased, though it was never ascertained which was the culprit.  There is no man-eater at present in Mysore.  Mr. Sanderson says that bold man-eaters have been known to enter a village and carry off a victim from the first open hut.  The boldest attempt I ever knew of was mentioned to me by my Nilgiri planter