34 Leaves from an Indian Jungle. 



with a fair amount of certainty, have been defeated and 

 precipitated into the depths below. But unfortunately 

 there was a " but " in the case: scarcely had we taken 

 one step in retrogression when a horrible subterranean 

 disturbance occurred in the depths of the cavern we had 

 just left. 



This accelerated our movements somewhat ; but they 

 were as nothing compared to the rapidity of the eruption 

 that was going on behind us, and in less than no time a dis- 

 gusting outcry belched forth from the dark opening in the 

 face of sheer rock, and a furious bellowing announced that 

 the brute was on us ! So close were we to our little haven 

 round the corner that my own man had already arrived ; 

 but for those in rear of him time was up ! The G6nd 

 leapt like any ape up some narrow cleft just ahead of 

 me ; while for me there was nothing but a swift whip 

 round to face this horrid trouble, my rifle not even 

 permitted to reach my shoulder. To right a blank wall 

 of smooth cliifside; to left a swift descent to the unknown 

 over the edge of a slope scarcely less sudden than that 

 of an ordinary church steeple ; and in front a raging, 

 roaring, mass of black hair shooting towards me with the 

 speed of a runaway motor-car ! 



Bang! goes my rifle right into and touching the brute's 

 back and next moment I am in some strangely slow- 

 moving nightmare, one of the most vivid of its kaleidoscopic 

 memories being the peculiarly smooth-brushed appearance 

 of Melursus* forehead as her jaws close on my right thigh, 

 and seem to remain there for ages ! 



Then, curiously enough, I am upside down ; and every- 

 thing whirls round and round in a freak-like dance ! 

 Through clenched teeth I remember breathing some des- 

 perate remark such as " Done for this journey ! " 



