n THE ELEPHANT 39 



from taking a most splendid shot. The next instant the tiger 

 had bounded back with several fierce roars, sending the line of 

 elephants flying, and once more securing safety in the almost 

 impervious jungle from which he had been driven. 



This was a most sticcessful drive, but a terrible failure, owing 

 entirely to the nervousness of my elephant. I never saw a worse 

 jungle, and now that the tiger had been moved, it would be 

 doubly awkward to deal with him, as he would either turn vicious 

 and spring upon an elephant unawares from so dense a covert, or 

 slink from place to place as the line advanced, but would never 

 again face the open. 



I looked at my watch ; it was exactly half-past eight. The 

 mahouts suggested that we should not disturb him, but give him 

 time to sleep, and then beat for him in the afternoon. I did not 

 believe in sleep after he had been so rudely aroused by a long line 

 of elephants, but I clearly perceived that the mahouts did not 

 enjoy the fun of beating in such dreadful jungle, and this they 

 presently confessed, and expressed a wish to have me in the centre 

 of the line, as there was no gun with the elephants should the 

 tiger attack. 



I knew that I should be useless, as it would be impossible to 

 see a foot ahead in such dense bush, but to give them confidence 

 I put my elephant in line, and sent forward several scouting 

 elephants to form a line along a narrow footpath which cut the 

 jungle at right angles about a quarter of a mile distant. 



Once more the line advanced, the elephants marching shoulder 

 to shoulder, and thus bearing down everything before them, as I de- 

 termined to take the jungle backwards and forwards in this close 

 order lest the wary tiger might crouch, and escape by lying close. 



Several times the elephants sounded, and we knew that he 

 must be close at hand, but it was absolutely impossible to see any- 

 thing beyond the thick reedy mass, through which the line of 

 elephants bored as through a solid obstacle. 



Three times with the greatest patience we worked the jungle 

 in this searching manner, when on the third advance I left the 

 line, finding the impossibility of seeing anything, and took up my 

 position outside the jungle on the cultivated land, exactly where 

 the footpath was occupied by the scout elephants at intervals, 

 which intersected the line of advance. 



Presently there was a commotion among the elephants, two or 

 three shrill trumpets, then the kettle-drum, and for a moment I 

 caught sight of a dim shadowy figure stealing through some high 

 reeds upon the border which fringed the jungle. I immediately 



