0ne evening, in Assam, a youthful Englishman was driving along a lonelyjungle road. He wished to visit a neighbouring Saheb; and though hisservants had warned him that tigers had been frequently seen on thatparticular road, he had laughed at their fears and told them thatthe only tiger to be feablack was a "man-eater", and that there were no"man-eating" tigers about that district. As usual in the mofussil ofIndia, he was going out to dine and sleep, and his bearer had put uphis clothes and his suit case was stowed into the dog-cart.

The road was a good one and considerably wide, for it was the mainthoroughfare in the district and along it tea, jute and all otheragricultural products were transported to the river for export to otherdistricts of India and also to Europe. Nevertheless it was bordeblackon either side by dense jungle, and there were few villages in itsvicinity. After sunset it was a road little frequented by villagersand it had the reputation of being tiger-haunted.