TIGERLAND 



roused us to the knowledge that there was some animal 

 or animals in the vicinity of the camp. 



We were not long left in doubt as to the nature of our 

 visitor, for some ten minutes later there rose a deafening 

 chorus of trumpeting and squeals followed by a loud 

 crashing of the jungle as if all the elephants in the forest 

 were advancing in a body, bent on dispossessing us of the 

 portion of their territory which we had annexed. 



What the actual number of our invaders amounted to, 

 it was impossible to say in such pitchy darkness, but the 

 forest all around us seemed alive with them, though, as 

 we found afterwards, they were a herd of about thirty 

 which had been frequenting that locality for some days, 

 and apparently in one of their seemingly aimless wanderings, 

 had stumbled upon our camp. 



They remained roaming round us for some time 

 tearing down branches and young trees out of pure mis- 

 chief so far as we could judge, for they did not appear 

 to be feeding, but evidently afraid of the light from our 

 many lanterns and the shouts of the men as they swung 

 them about, they fortunately kept at a respectable dis- 

 tance from the encampment. 



Nevertheless, the knowledge that we were entirely 

 at their mercy, liable at any moment to be trampled to 

 death, should they suddenly take it into their heads to 

 examine us more closely, kept us in a state of suspense 

 and anxiety not very difficult to imagine. At last after 

 what was probably an hour, but which had seemed to us 

 an age, they departed as suddenly as they had come, 

 going off apparently in single file, as is their wont, for we 

 could only hear the sound as of one animal crashing through 

 the jungle. 



It had been certainly an experience, but one that none 

 of us would have cared to go through again, and we were 

 only too thankful that it was a herd and not the rogue 

 that had visited us, for had it been the latter some one in 

 the camp must assuredly have been killed. 



As may be imagined, we slept no more that night, 

 consequently made an early start, so that by twelve o'clock 

 were well out of the forest and a couple of hours later 

 reached our camp, to find our tents all ready pitched and 

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