16 Leaves from an Indian Jungle. 



while the valley resounded at dawn and eve with the shrill 

 "Kuckkaa kiya kuck'm!" of our cheery friends the grey 

 jungle-cocks. 



As time passed the rain ceased, and the sun began his 

 work on the jungles : the leaves fell, the salai trees stood 

 out gaunter, and barer each day, and the fast-yellowing 

 grass seeded its vicious crop of tiny spears, which, strange 

 to say, are looked on as a titbit by the stags, who, about 

 this time, are beginning to roar and collect in view of 

 the approaching rutting season. 



Early one morning, as we stood by the yet running waters 

 of our glen, we were startled by the sharp bark of our neigh- 

 bours, the khdkar. "Aaow aaow!" sounded their little 

 voices, as they rapidly threaded the well-known thickets, 

 .and shortly there rang out the deep bell of a sambar hind, as 

 the whole ravine waked to sudden panic, and the jungle 

 crashed before the irresistible rush of the large deer. Dart- 

 ing to my dam's side, with cocked tail, I found her trembling, 

 facing down the bed of the stream, her large ears spread 

 to catch the slightest sound, and then, as some little red- 

 dish forms appeared slinking round a far rock, we turned, 

 and swiftly passed through a bamboo coppice, up over a 

 steep knoll, and suddenly stopped short again. A patter- 

 ing sound swept up the banks } and a glimpse of our ruthless 

 foes, the wild dogs, vanishing up-stream, where the rest of 

 the herd had pursued their mad flight. Again we swiftly 

 climbed, and at last stood, with heaving flanks, to hear a 

 faint, far off yelp, before we crossed the ridge and plunged 

 into the jungle slopes of another great khora ; nor did we 

 stay our way till yet another ridge and glen divided us 

 from our erstwhile home. 



Descending more leisurely at length, there suddenly 

 appeared before us the great head and neck of a large stag, 



