238 S/Ji VICTOR BROOKE'S TUSKER. 



elephants trumpeted loudly, which attracted tlie attention of some people 

 herding cattle on the opposite side of the valley, who, seeing us, and divin- 

 ing our intentions, yelled out, " dnay ! dnay ! " (elephants) at the top of 

 their voices, in the hopes no doubt of receiving a reward for their untimely 

 information. The effect of these discordant human cries was mafiical; 

 every matted clump seemed to heave and shake and vomit forth an ele- 

 phant. With marvellous silence and quickness the huge beasts marshalled 

 themselves together, and by the time they appeared on the more open 

 ground in the centre of the valley, a miglity cavalcade was formed whicli, 

 once seen, can never be forgotten. There were about eighty elephants in 

 the herd. Towards the head of the procession was a noble bull, with a pair 

 of tusks such as are rarely seen nowadays in India. Following him in 

 direct line came a medley of elephants of lower degree — bulls, cows, and 

 calves of every size, some of the latter frolicking with comic glee, and 

 bundling in amongst the legs of their elders with the utmost confidence. 

 It was truly a splendid sight, and I really believe that while it lasted 

 neither Colonel Hamilton nor I entertained any feeling but that of intense 

 admiration and wonder. At length the great stream was, we believed, over, 

 and we were commencing to arrange our mode of attack, when that hove in 

 sight which called forth an ejaculation of astonishment from each one of 

 us. Striding thoughtfully along in the rear of the herd, many of the mem- 

 bers of which were, doubtless, his cliildren, and his children's cliildren, came 

 a mighty bull, the like of which neither my companion, after many years of 

 jungle experience, nor the two natives who were with us, had ever seen 

 before. But it was not merely the stature of the noble beast which aston- 

 ished us, for that, though great, could not be considered unrivalled. It was 

 the sight of his enormous tusk, which projected like a long gleam of liglit 

 into the grass through which he was slowly wending his way, that held us 

 riveted to the spot. With almost a solemn expression of countenance 

 Colonel Hamilton turned to me and said, ' There's the largest tusker in 

 India, old boy ; and come what may you must get him, and take his tusk 

 to Ireland with you.' It w^as in vain I expostulated with my dear old 

 friend, recalling my morning's mishap, and reminding him that in jungle- 

 laws it stands written — ' Shot turn and turn about at elepliants.' It was of 

 no avail. * You must bag that tusker,' was all the answer I could get. 



" It took us but a short time to run down the slope, and to find the track 

 which swept like a broad avenue along the bed of the valley. Cautiously 

 we followed it up, and after about a quarter of a mile came upon the ele- 

 phants. They were standing in perfect silence around tlie bordi'rs of a 

 small glade, in tlie middle of which stood the great tusker, ipiite alone, 



