ooi THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



with a broken tusk, that I killed in the Ballyrim- 

 <:;um Hills a short time ago, used to attack every 

 animal he came near, and did not fear man in the 

 least, for, whenever he heard the sounds of an axe 

 in the part of the jungle he inhabited, he would rush 

 shrieking, and chase the woodcutters ; who went 

 about their work in fear and trembling until I rolled 

 him over with a single ball as he charged me, when 

 I caught him bathing in a small pool of water." 



" I remember it well," answered B ; " but 



here come the men with the axes, so bear a hand, 

 and we will show them how to begin ourselves." 



When the people came up, we set to work cutting 

 out the tusks ; which task, even with the aid of 

 heavy axes, a saw, and fresh relays of operators, took 

 us nearly three hours before it was accomplished, 

 when, cutting off the end of the tail and the tips of 

 the ears and trunk to send to the " Cutchery"* for 

 the Government reward, we slung the ivory on bam- 

 boos, and the Mulchers carried it on their shoulders. 



We descended the Ghaut by a shorter route than 

 the one we came by, and arrived at our hut by sun- 

 set, where we had the gratification of finding K 



and C enjoying a bath in the lake. We joined 



them, and, after a most refreshing dip, sat down to 

 a famous dinner, in which my chef de cuisine, " Five 

 Minutes," outvied all his previous performances by 

 indulging us in a most delicious pie made of the 

 bison's marrow. After due justice had been done to 



* Cutchery — the collector's office. 



