36 ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 



jaggheri, and other things were stored. With felonious 

 intent he began feeling round through a gap in the hurdle- 

 like wall when a child within struck the greedy trunk, and 

 it was swiftly drawn back with a cry. 



I think it was during the same expedition that one of our 

 elephants paid the camp an afternoon visit on his own 

 account, during working hours too, giving those present 

 at the time something of a fright thereby from the inde- 

 pendent air about him. F. was out shooting pigeons, and 

 in any case the occurrence would not have disturbed him. 

 In camp, besides the servants and myself, was a naturalist 

 friend, Mr. W., who was spending his three months' leave 

 with us, sharing our jungle life. About four o'clock every- 

 thing was quiet, and coffee had just been brought in by the 

 ayah, when I heard Mr. W. calling me, and sent her to inquire 

 the reason. She never got so far as his hut, but came 

 running back immediately to say that one of the elephants 

 was out there, all by himself — no mahout ! Yes, indeed, 

 there he stood, gazing about him placidly and good- 

 humouredly enough ; but there was no telling what he 

 might take it into his head to do on finding himself his 

 own master, which he certainly was for any of us. Our only 

 idea was to keep him thus good-humoured by plying him 

 with food until he should be missed and fetched away, 

 which would surely be before long. The servants brought 

 all they could lay hands on : cocoanuts, cotton-seed (the 

 bullocks' food), gram (meant for the horses), rice, sugar, 

 whatever there was. These being put before him he fed 

 himself happily, but it all disappeared so fast that I feared 

 for our resources, and also that he might tire of what we 

 gave him and begin to forage around. We shouldn't have 

 dared to say him nay ! 



Presently Mr. W. spied half a cocoanut, and without 

 looking first to see whether it were full or empty threw it 

 towards the elephant, who, the instant he saw it was a mere 



