XV BISON, BEAR, AND ELEPHANT 175 



of a roof, and the light below, subdued in the 

 brightest sun, completed the resemblance to a 

 great sacred building. 



The elephant was marked down from early 

 dawn before we started. We met parties of 

 Kurubcrs, wild men of the woods, and these 

 dwindled in numbers until we reached the 

 last two men, who were actually watching the 

 elephant and marking their progress by leaves. 

 It was the military system of advance guard, 

 vanguard, and patrols, admirably carried out by 

 Mr. C. 



On the first day we came early on the elephant. 

 I could see the back of his head and one ear 

 above the undergrowth. He gave me a shot that 

 I had studied. I crawled to a tree and, resting 

 my rifle, had a perfect shot at twenty yards; 

 but I had to fire through some leaves, and one 

 bamboo twig of the thickness of a pencil was just 

 in front of my foresight. This I chanced, and 

 fired. I heard no noise, and hoped he had fallen 

 dead. Steps, at first towards us and then receding, 

 soon undeceived me. I had missed, and the 

 pencil twig was gone. But my attendants would 

 have none of missing twigs. My name was MUD. 



The elephant had not seen us. In the hope 

 that he might take the shot for thunder it were 

 better not to follow and frighten him. 



" This is a shaitan, and there is witchcraft in 

 it," said old Juman, my bearer. " It can only be 

 defeated by prayer and — money." 



We tracked the elephant for long next day, 

 and came on him at 6.50 p.m., when I found the 

 light too bad to fire. 



