MY BIG TUSKER. 185 



gloomy and despondent whenever I thought of him, 

 and I went on an expedition with the sole object of 

 meeting him and slaying him. 



I had ascended the Kayu River, and had encamped 

 where there was a clearing upon which stood an old 

 house. A certain company was formed some years ago 

 to prospect for gold upon the Segama River. The 

 Segama itself was unnavigable owing to the numerous 

 rapids, and the best mode of access to the upper waters 

 of the Segama was to ascend the Kayu River as far as 

 it was navigable, and thence to make a road through the 

 jungle to the upper waters of the Segama. This the 

 Gold Company had done, and the house I encamped in 

 was their old abandoned depot upon the Kayu, at the 

 point where they commenced to make their road across 

 country to the Segama. 



The moon was at the full that night and there had been 

 a good deal of rain, so there was every prospect of sport ; 

 for elephants move about at the time of the full moon, 

 more especially if the weather has been rainy. My 

 design was to proceed along the road for five or six 

 miles from the river, as thereby I should be sure to see 

 the tracks of any elephants which had travelled parallel 

 to the river. 



I sent for my Dyak spoorer and had a confabula- 

 tion. 



" Shall we get sport to-morrow ? " 



" Yes, tuan, the moon is full ; there has been rain, and 

 I heard a certain bird calling this evening. It may be 

 that we shall come across the big elephant." 



" What on earth do you mean about your bird ? " 



" Whenever that bird gives its note it always presages 

 success. The last time I went out hunting with the tuan, 



