REMINISCENCES OF JUNGLYPUR 237 



and had persuaded to come so far with us. These people 

 now desired to be excused, in order to attend to their 

 work, and, we having casually inquired in which direction 

 they would now proceed, they had indicated a course 

 uphill and away from the river leading past the aforesaid 

 banyan tree and " burroo " grass. So we left them drinking 

 water and squatting on the laterite rocks. Half an hour 

 later H. and I, accompanied by two of my own men, had 

 explored about half a mile downstream, up a stale pug- 

 marked branch ndla and down again, when I remarked 

 a suddenly thoughtful look on my old orderly's face, as he 

 paused and seemed to listen to some distant sound ; but 

 the incident passed. 



Not finding any more tracks downstream, we had 

 turned and were retracing our steps, when we became 

 aware of the four Korkus hurrying down the far bank of 

 the river-bed. Surprised at this sudden departure from 

 their original bamboo-cutting expedition, we stopped and 

 called to them ; but in a preoccupied kind of way they 

 continued their course, one of them signalling that this 

 was their path. Now, had my old fellow mentioned to 

 me the cause of his previous pause and thought, sub- 

 sequent events might have turned out very differently, but 

 he did not. " Chance " was creeping in. 



Motto for the jungle " Suspicion should rest on every 

 departure from the normal." 



It was becoming hot in the deep-sunk ravine, and up 

 we plodded, over pebble and sand, past the pug-marked 

 pool erasing the pugs past, almost, the level bay and 

 banyan tree, H. going along the farther bank. By the 

 pool-side I stooped, and scooping up a little water, patted 

 it refreshingly over my scanty locks. Then I replaced 

 my sun hat and ascended a little bank on the higher 

 ground to settle on a spot for our bait that evening. 



" Baurrgh-ha-waurrgh-ha-harrgh-a-waugh ! " 



The deafening noise burst all around me in the vibrating 



