302 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



bank and make off ; and then pushed old Sarju slowly and 



carefully through the cover. Peafowl rose in numbers from 



every bush as we advanced ; and a few hares and other small 



animals bolted out at the edges, such thick green covers being 



the midday resort of all the life of the neighbourhood in the 



hot weather. About the centre the jungle was extremely 



thick, and the bottom was cut up into a number of parallel 



water- channels among the strong roots and overhanging 



branches of the tamarisk. Here the elephant paused and 



began to kick the earth, and utter the low tremulous sound by 



which some elephants denote the close presence of a tiger. 



We peered all about with nervous beatings of the heart ; and 



at last the mahout, who was lower down on the elephant's 



neck, said he saw him lying beneath a thick jaman bush 



We had some stones in the howdah, and I made the Lalla, 



who was behind me in the back seat, pitch one into the bush. 



Instantly the tiger started up with a short roar and galloped 



off through the bushes. I gave him right and left at once, 



which told loudly ; but he went till he saw the pad-elephant 



blocking the road he meant to escape by, and then he turned 



and charged back at me with horrible roars. It was very difficult 



to see him among the crashing bushes, and he was within 



twenty yards when I fired again. This dropped him into one 



of the channels ; but he picked himself up, and came on again 



as savagely though more slowly than before. I was now in the 



act of covering him with the large shell rifle, when suddenly the 



elephant spun round, and I found myself looking the opposite 



way, while a worrying sound behind me and the frantic 



movements of the elephant told me I had a fellow-passenger 



on board I might well have dispensed with. All I could do 



in the way of holding on barely sufficed to prevent myself and 



guns from being pitched out ; and it was some time before 



