ELEPHANT TRAIL. 381 



doing, Walker and Knight saw some animals 

 which they took to be river-horse raise their heads 

 in the lagoon, but they were out of range. I saw 

 the spoor of both hippopotami and elephant, but 

 they were three days old, also the fresh pugs of a 

 couple of leopards, which I believe I must have 

 disturbed whilst forcing my way through the un- 

 derwood. Towards dusk we returned to the fac- 

 tory, where our hammocks were slung, and we 

 turned in rather tired after our day's work. 



The next morning at daybreak Walker and I got 

 into our boats, and pulled, or rather paddled, 

 noiselessly along the left bank of King Passall's 

 Eiver, for about a couple of miles, when suddenly 

 I heard two low whimpers, followed by the un- 

 mistakable sounds of elephant, which is caused 

 by the water rattling in their stomachs. I imme- 

 diately attracted Walker's attention by a low 

 whistle, and after reconnoitering the bank with my 

 field-glass, I found a place where we could land, 

 and with some difficulty got on to terra firma. 



Here I almost immediately struck the fresh trail 

 of elephant, and bidding the people remain quiet 



