1 68 TALES OF A NOMAD. 



I took the rest of the men with me, and turned to the 

 left, going along the edge of the swamp. I went for 

 about 300 yards, and then entered the swamp. 



My design was to get round the elephants and 

 approach them from below the wind. I did not want 

 to make too much noise, nor was it fair to expose the 

 Dyaks to unusual danger, so I told them to remain. 

 My orderly, however, insisted on accompanying me, so 

 I gave him the express rifle loaded with solid conical, 

 telling him to use it if there was a charge made, and 

 that when we got near the elephants, I would go in front 

 and fire at them, while he was to remain behind and take 

 care of himself. I took the heavy double No. 8 bore, and 

 put six spare cartridges into my left breast-pocket. 



It was difficult work plunging in this swamp, and I 

 almost wished we had never entered it. At last we 

 came to a muddy, stagnant lagoon, which looked impass- 

 able. However, my orderly, laying down the express 

 rifle and ammunition bag, slipped into it and began 

 wading across. The water soon rose to his armpits, and, 

 seeing that it was impassable, I recalled him to the bank. 



The only thing now to be done was to retrace our 

 steps and await events. Just as we were rejoining our 

 party, I heard a call note from the Dyak whom we had 

 left on the look-out at the spot where the elephants had 

 first entered the swamp. 



I set off as hard as I could run in his direction, swish- 

 ing through bushes and jumping over roots and binders. 

 I tripped up and came down a burster, but was up again 

 in a moment. As I was running, I heard the plash, 

 plash of an elephant wading through the swamp. It 

 was evidently coming out of the swamp by the same 

 path it had entered it by, and it was a question whether 



