BULLET AND SHOT 



and I went on into the darkness ahead to look 

 for the elephantine highwayman who had so un- 

 ceremoniously disturbed our rest. 



The high road lay through heavy forest on both 

 sides, and as it was quite dark, W. took the 

 precaution of grasping the shoulder of a trembling 

 old Mahomedan peon of mine, who carried a 

 lantern, and of somewhat forcibly inducing him 

 to light us, thus leaving himself but one hand 

 free for the use of his rifle. I confess that I did 

 not at all appreciate the situation. I knew full 

 well that had the elephant attacked us as there 

 was every probability of his doing W. would 

 have been obliged to release the ancient disciple 

 of the prophet in order to use his rifle, and that, 

 to a moral certainty, the peon would have dropped 

 the lantern, and have incontinently "hooked it," 

 leaving us in the dark, with a charging and 

 infuriated pachyderm somewhere or other on the 

 top of us a situation the danger of which could 

 not possibly be exaggerated. Fortunately no such 

 risk was in store for us ; we could see nothing of 

 any elephant on the road, but we heard one 

 breaking bamboos or branches in the jungle to 

 the right hand side of it. We went a little way 

 into the forest, where, in spite of the lantern, it 

 was impossible to see further than a few paces, 

 and though we could plainly hear the elephant 

 (apparently very close to us), we could see nothing. 



We therefore returned to the road, and stood on 

 guard until all the vehicles had passed. We then 

 went on, having directed the men not to go so far 



46 



