A Chase under Difficulties. 69 



sounded in another direction, and the crash through the 

 jungle took place which nothing but an elephant can 

 produce. In such dense jungle, where the elephants 

 are invisible, this crash is most exciting if close at hand, 

 as in the present instance. It is at the first burst impos- 

 sible to tell whether the elephant is coming at you or 

 rushing away. In either case it is extremely dangerous, 

 as these chena jungles are almost devoid of trees ; thus 

 there is no cover of sufficient strength to protect a man 

 should he attempt to jump ou one side, and he may even 

 be run over by accident. 



A few moments assured us of their retreat, and we 

 instantly followed upon their track, running at full 

 speed along the lane which they had crushed in their 

 headlong flight. This was no easy matter ; the jungle 

 itself was certainly broken down, but innumerable 

 hooked thorns hanging from rope-like creepers which 

 had been torn down by the rush of the elephants, 

 caught us upon every side. In a few minutes our 

 clothes were in rags, and we were bleeding from count- 

 less scratches ; but we continued the chase as fast as we 

 could run upon the track. The prickly cactus which 

 abounds in these jungles and grows to the height of 

 twenty feet, in some places checked us for a few mo- 

 ments, being crushed into a heap by the horny-footed 

 beasts before us. These obstacles overcome, we again 

 pushed on at a rapid pace, occasionally listening for a 

 sound of the retreating game. 



We now observed that the herd had separated ; the 

 bull had gone off in one direction and the female with 

 her half-grown poonchy in another. Following the lat- 

 ter, we again pushed on at a quick run, as the elephants 

 had evidently gone off at a great pace and were fa? in 



