IN THE SAL FORESTS 383 



by some, to us, unknown advantage, he may be loitering in 

 the shade of those trees. Nay, at this moment he may be 

 silently contemplating us, nose in the air, horns sweeping 

 his flanks, and ears and tail suddenly held still from 

 their ordinary fly-flapping movements, ready to thunder 

 suddenly away, and from a heavy gallop settle into that 

 aggravatingly ceaseless pace that may carry him ten 

 miles before we have a chance of finding his suspicions 

 lulled. 



But to-day we are in luck at last. Patience has its 

 reward ! Past days of toil are going to be repaid ! 



It is very hot in these stilly forests. The big rifle 

 appears to weigh a hundredfold what it did when we left 

 the sandy shore this morning; and, in spite of a pull at the 

 water-bottle, our feet, lightly shod in an ancient pair of 

 brown tennis -shoes though they be, go not any too 

 sprightly. See ! A slight ctitour the bull made here 

 to avoid a big fluted termites' heap, when suddenly there 

 is old Dabbi the Mdriah crouched close to the ground ; 

 and the others, well to the rear luckily, all behind sal 

 stems ! As for me, a tree trunk is what I most desire to 

 simulate at the moment. Am I detected ? Or do the 

 khaki breeches, brownish coat, and green-grey hat in any 

 wise resemble the corrugated stems of Shorea robusta? 

 Dabbi however begins to crawl, crab-like, in my direction ; 

 so, very gently, down I go too. Gondi is the only language 

 in which Dabbi and I have common knowledge, my share 

 comprising a few names of animals and a common word or 

 two ; but hunter's language of eye and hand is a regular 

 " Volapuk," carrying one all the world over, and there is no 

 difficulty in learning that "he" is lying in a slight hollow in 

 that bit of a clearing ahead of us. 



Delicious moment ! Does the hunter not know it well, 

 when the knowledge of having found his game, his presence 

 all unsuspected, mingles with the suppressing of the eager 

 desire to attack ! The great beast is there, found a.t last ; 



