chap. xii. A JUNGLE TRIP. 345 



An hour was thus occupied. We tracked them 

 through many glades and jungles, till we at length dis- 

 covered in a thick chenar the fresh tracks of another 

 herd, which the ' rogue ' and his companion had evi- 

 dently joined, as his immense footprint was very con- 

 spicuous among the numerous marks of the troop. 

 Passing cautiously through a thick jungle, we at length 

 emerged upon an extensive tract of high lemon grass. 

 There was a small pool of water close to the edge 

 of the jungle, which was surrounded with the fresh 

 dung of elephants, and the muddy surface was still 

 agitated by the recent visit of some of these thirsty 

 giants. 



Carefully ascending some slightly rising ground, 

 and keeping close to the edge of the jungle, we peered 

 over the high grass. 



We were in the centre of the herd, who were 

 much scattered. It was very late, being nearly 

 dusk, but we counted six elephants here and there 

 in the high grass within sixty paces of us, while the 

 rustling in the jungle to our left, warned us, that a por- 

 tion of the herd had not yet quitted this cover. We 

 knew that the ' rogue ' was somewhere close at hand, 

 and after his recent defeat he would be doubly on 

 the alert. Our plans therefore required the greatest 

 vigilance. 



There was no doubt as to the proper course to pur- 

 sue, which was to wait patiently until the whole herd 



