6 A RECKLESS PROCEEDING. 



one morning, I chanced to have a rather exciting interview 

 with some of their wild denizens. Having heard pea-fowl 

 calling hard by, I had left the road in quest of them, fol- 

 lowed by a little Goorkha carrying my rifle. As we were 

 skirting along a large patch of very tall reeds (called null 

 or nurkul), a rustling noise, evidently made by the movement 

 of some large animal, was heard therein. Our doubts as to 

 what it could be were soon dispelled by finding the fresh 

 droppings and tracks, or " mullen," as the latter are there 

 called, of wild elephants, as well as by sundry snorts and 

 rumbling sounds which were now and again heard. Loading 

 my gun with bullets, and exchanging it with the Goorkha 

 for the rifle, we stole cautiously through the reeds towards 

 the spot whence the sound proceeded, and had not to go far 

 ere I discovered the head and big flapping ears of an ele- 

 phant a short distance from me. Suddenly detecting our 

 presence, the animal cocked forward its ears, whisked round 

 in an instant, and went crashing away through the reeds, 

 followed by two well-grown calves, of which I just caught a 

 glimpse as they disappeared. In my excitement I let drive 

 at the old one's stern, which foolish example was followed 

 by my companion. She merely gave a shrieking trumpet 

 and continued her flight. Had I then been more experi- 

 enced in such matters, I should have known the danger and 

 folly, not to mention the cruelty, of so reckless a proceeding ; 

 and had it chanced to have been a male, he might have 

 made our position rather hot. 



Thinking we had seen the last of the elephants, we had 

 cleared out of the reeds, and had been skirting along them 

 for some distance, when again we heard a tremendous crash- 

 ing amongst them. Each moment it grew louder as it 

 rapidly drew nearer. Either the injured elephant, or one 

 of her mates that we had not seen, was evidently making 

 straight for us, with the intention, we imagined, of resenting 

 our rash and random shots. The business now seemed about 

 to assume a more serious aspect, for we were in the open, 



