Some Dangers of the Forest 159 



thrown into the pit to be trampled down by the 

 willing elephant, till after long labour his head 

 and shoulders appeared above the surface and 

 with an effort he was once again on firm land. 



Far different would have been the fate of any 

 wild animal with none to help ; for, though there 

 may have been no witness of their struggles, a 

 record remains imprinted on the surroundings 

 even when only a few bones are left to tell the 



piteous tale. In the midst of a forest which had 

 stood for centuries were once found the ruins of 

 a populous town ; of the houses and temples 

 only the foundations remained, level with or 

 hidden by the leaf-mould of years. The area 

 covered by these ruins, unsuspected by the 

 passer-by, in itself indicated the existence of a 



