10 THE OUT-STATION; OR, 



again into the earth from their parent stem, prove 

 of no slight assistance in the ascent, now suddenly 

 emerging into open spaces of ground, covered at in- 

 tervals with lemon-grass reaching far above our heads; 

 all the while kept on the constant look-out for 

 squalls ; the screechings of the awakening animals 

 over head becoming more frequent as the twilight of 

 morning becomes more palpable. 



A dark, indefinable patch, a few yards distant, just 

 appearing above the lemon-grass, is formed by a herd 

 of a dozen elephants, as noiseless and motionless as 

 the old blackened stumps of trees close to them, and 

 many an inexperienced hand has walked into an 

 animal's proboscis before discovering his mistake. 



At the next step I incontinently break in upon the 

 slumbers of a noble elk, who, drawing himself to his 

 full height, stares for a moment at his intruder, and 

 then dashes down the steep as if it were a grassy flat. 



Jungle fowl rise at my feet at every turning, whilst 

 above, an unceasing clatter of tongues and creak- 

 ing of branches, as the squatters thereon migrate from 

 tree to tree, give indication that our invasion of the 

 monkeys' territory is not viewed with any feeling of 

 hospitality by the tribe. 



A " rogue" elephant, a rascal who has been driven 

 from his herd for habitual misconduct, and whose paw 

 is in consequence against man and beast, next makes 

 his appearance in front, sending us round some half 

 a mile out of the direct road, simply because I am 



