154 Leaves from an Indian Jungle. 



H. and I. passed the mango pool, and went about a couple 

 of miles down-stream, quietly pottering along dry stretches, 

 of boulders, and examining sand and dust for the necessary 

 tracks. At a spot where a considerable tributary nala 

 joins the main ravine lies a narrow bay of level soil, rather 

 raised above the level of the floods ; and here grows much 

 long 'burroo' grass, shaded by a few small new-leaved 

 mhowa trees. Not far from the harder of this little 

 * strath ' rises a spreading banyan ; in the river bed below 

 lie some delectable pools. Soothed by the sylvan beauties 

 of this spot, H. and I. repaired to the water's edge, and, 

 reclining in the shade, masticated a biscuit, and raised aloft 

 the pleasantly-gurgling water-bottle. 



Anon, refreshed, we prowled on, and, about fifty yards, 

 further on, regarded with pleasure what we had come to 

 see the pugs of a tigress ; but we failed to mark the, 

 prints of some smaller pads, or passed them by ais those of 

 hyaena, or other lesser beast of the forest., 



Up to this point we had been accompanied by four 

 Korkus, whom we had met on their way to cut bamboos, and 

 had persuaded to come so far with us. These people now 

 desired to be excused, in order to attend to their work, and 

 we having casually inquired in which direction they 

 would now proceed, they had indicated a course uphill and 

 away from the river, leading past the aforesaid banyan 

 tree and ' burroo * grass. So we left them drinking water 

 and squatting on the laterite rocks. Half an hour later H.. 

 and I. accompanied by two of my own. men had explored 

 about half a mile down-stream, up a stale pug-marked 

 branch nala and down again, when I remarked a suddenly 

 thoughtful look on my old orderly's face, as he paused 

 and seemed to listen to some sound but the incident 

 passed. 



