274 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA CHAP. 



justified the extraordinary nervous dread which he 

 had always shown when passing a bush or going 

 through a thicket. His instinct, no doubt, told him 

 of the manifold dangers which lurked there for his 

 undoing on some unlucky day. 



When we reached the open glade where poor 

 Aladdin had fallen, and I saw him lying there 

 lifeless before me, I realized to the full that I had 

 lost not only a faithful steed, but a dumb friend 

 who had taken part with me in many an exciting 

 chase. 



Determined to avenge his death, I started off 

 again as soon as possible on the trail of the vicious 

 " rogue" that had caused us so much anxiety and 

 sorrow. We all joined in the chase, but I did not 

 find the gun-bearers very keen on the hunt, as the 

 brute had given them a bad fright. 



Before leaving Aladdin I had noticed, on un- 

 girthing the saddle, that a stirrup-leather was 

 missing from the side on which the elephant had 

 gored him, so, thinking that it was probably lying 

 on the ground at the spot where Aladdin was 

 charged, I sent the syce, Asa Ram, and an askari to 

 look for it. As they did not return we walked our- 

 selves in the direction they had taken, and, on 

 rounding a bit of thick jungle, discovered the pair 

 calmly sitting safe in the shelter of a big tree ! 



