REMINISCENCES 



as the forest lodge for which we were bound, but 

 to stop for the remainder of the night at the nearest 

 water, which was about two miles off. 



Early next morning we got up, had some food 

 cooked by the roadside, took our rifles, and set 

 off to look for the elephant of the previous night, 

 which we naturally dubbed a "rogue." On reaching 

 the place however, instead of the expected tracks 

 of the rogue, we found those of a whole herd of 

 elephants, to interfere with which we had no per- 

 mission. There was then nothing to be done but 

 to retrace our steps, and to proceed towards the 

 said forest lodge, trying for bison on the way. 



The forest consisted of a great diversity of 

 growth. In one part were flat or undulating 

 stretches of mature bamboo jungle the bamboos 

 standing in large clumps, with plenty of room to 

 walk between, except where elephants had broken 

 them down and spread them about on the ground 

 in a fantastic network. In another, we might enter 

 an open glade, with a few large teak and other 

 timber trees scattered at considerable intervals, 

 which lay at the edge of an expanse of fairly open 

 mixed tree forest, where the large trunks stood 

 as near to one another as their ever-encroaching 

 roots would permit, and where, at this season of 

 the year, a lovely carpet of new, fresh, rapidly- 

 grown grass, of about half or three - quarters of 

 a foot in height, covered the ground. Here and 

 there a deep nullah interposed, containing in some 

 cases one or more "salt-licks," which were well 

 known to the jungle-men who guided us. 



47 



