142 The Life of an Elephant 



agility of startled deer, earth and gravel flying 

 as they passed, so that in a few seconds only a 

 cloud of dust remained as proof of their presence. 



The party wandered on skirting the line of 

 hills, entering from time to time some deep-cut 

 ravine and crossing its steep watershed into the 

 next. Often when slowly mounting to the 

 summit of these little hills a sambhar or swamp- 

 deer would be seen passing along the further 

 ridge, where, later on, selecting some leafy tree, 

 he would lie on its northern side so as to be in 

 the shade during the heat of the day. Here 

 chewing the cud reflectively, with ears con- 

 stantly twitching to and fro, and with sensitive 

 nostrils testing the air, he would rest till the 

 evening shadows lengthened. 



These animals passed unmolested, and it was 

 not till the broad track of a buffalo-bull was 

 found that the sportsmen seemed at last to be 

 in earnest. They descended from the elephant 

 and took up the trail, following it with ease on 

 the softer ground, losing it frequently as the 

 animal passed over stones and rocks, recover- 

 ing it again after much search. The sun was 



