ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 39 



Fishing never appealed to me, not even at the supreme 

 moment when a prize was landed and lay flapping on the 

 bank ; my only feeling was commiseration for the foolish, 

 captured thing ! Being thus inappreciative I had been 

 disposed of on the far side of the river (which was too wide 

 to speak across) with my books, a chair, etc., at a spot where 

 the shore was sandy, the more easily to see intruding croco- 

 diles — ' muggers,' as they are commonly called — though 

 perhaps in fairness the intrusion was mine. It was not long 

 before sounds broke on the quiet from somewhere behind 

 me, getting momentarily louder and nearer ; a sort of splash- 

 ing and squelching, as of something ponderous wading 

 through water. Turning to look, more than half afraid, I 

 saw a herd of wild elephants coming my way to investigate 

 me, as I supposed at the time, though I afterwards learned 

 that that would be the last idea to enter their heads, so 

 timid are they. They had calves with them, and a young 

 tusker, who squealed and trumpeted as he headed his herd. 

 They had all been wading in a creek, but wanted to disport 

 themselves in the deeper water. 



Wild elephants, as a rule, keep steadily on their way, 

 bound either for the river, to bathe as now, or for some 

 prime feeding-ground, always avoiding the vicinity of man ; 

 nor are they in the least to be feared. That I knew, but 

 having their calves with them I thought might make a 

 difference in their tempers, so I tried by signs to make 

 the fishermen bring the raft across. To scream would be 

 useless ; I had been placed with that intention — that not 

 a sound from my side could travel to theirs — but they 

 could not pretend not to see my signals. It was quite a 

 long time, however, before the raft came alongside, and 

 by then the herd was pounding and splashing back at 

 top speed, the little ones being hurried along in front of 

 their mothers and relatives, all of them intent only on 

 taking their youngsters and themselves off in safety. As is 



