318 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



posted a pad-elephant at the only point where he could 

 easily get np the high bank and make off; and then 

 piTshed old Sarju slowly and carefully through the cover. 

 Peafowl rose in numbers from every bush as we ad- 

 vanced ; and a few hares and other small animals bolted 

 out at the edg^es — such thick orreen covers being the 

 midday resort of all the life of the neighbourhood in 

 the hot weather. About the centre the jungle was 

 extremely thick, and the bottom was cut up into a 

 number of parallel water-channels among the strong 

 roots and overhanorinor branches of the tamarisk. Here 

 the elephant paused and began to kick the earth, and 

 utter the low tremulous sound by which some elephants 

 denote the close presence of a tiger. We peered all 

 about with nervous beatings of the heart ; and at last 

 the mahout, who was lower down on the elephant's 

 neck, said he saw him lying beneath a thick jaman 

 bush. We had some stones in the howdah, and I made 

 the Lalla, who was behind me in the back seat, pitch one 

 into the bush. Instantly the tiger started up with a short 

 roar and galloped off through the bushes. I gave him 

 right and left at once, which told loudly ; but he went 

 till he saw the pad-elephant blocking the road he meant 

 to escape by, and then he turned and charged back at 

 me with horrible roars. It was very difficult to see 

 him among the crashing bushes, and he was within 

 twenty yards when I fired again. This dropped him 

 into one of the channels ; but he picked himself up, and 

 came on again as savagely though more slowly than 

 before. I was now in the act of covering him with the 

 large shell rifle, when suddenly the elephant spun round, 

 and I found myself looking the opposite way, while a 

 worrying sound behind me and the frantic movements 

 of the elephant told me I had a fellow-passenger on 



