40 ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 



invariably the case, they had been alarmed directly they 

 discovered the proximity of a human being, and came 

 not a step nearer ; I need never have disturbed myself for 

 them. Then as soon as we were within speaking distance 

 a voice shouted across, ' You 've driven all the fish away ! ' 

 And they rafted me back, only that I might no longer have 

 the chance of spoiling sport by taking fright at ' nothings.' 



Of course I knew in calm, reasoning moments that if 

 there had been any danger I should not have been aban- 

 doned to it ; but the mere idea of any one being alarmed 

 at the approach of wild elephants was treated as ridiculous. 

 'Unless indeed,' said F., 'there had been any likelihood of 

 a " rogue" about here, and then we shouldn't have been 

 calmly fishing ! ' 



I soon mastered the theories of animal habits and jungle- 

 lore generally, but at first very little was needed to frighten 

 them out of my head. In later times I took elephants 

 and other wild things as unconcernedly as did my hus- 

 band, familiarity having, in a sense, bred contempt, so 

 often, nay always, was it proved to me that, whether 

 ferocious or mild by nature, all are shy of man, and anxious 

 to keep out of his way, for their own sakes. This would 

 never have come about, however, without confidence in 

 my husband and his woodman's craft generally, which 

 was trained to a pitch of keenness approaching that of the 

 jungle things themselves, whose senses — sight, hearing, 

 scent — all exceed those of human beings. I have seen 

 him halt suddenly, at the same instant as his men, and 

 noticed an alert, concentrated look flash over every face ; 

 then all would drop, ear to earth, listening — for what ? 

 They had heard, or sensed, the trampling of a herd of 

 bison or of elephants, and could best locate the sound thus 

 in order to alter or regulate our movements accordingly, 

 so that, supposing us to be in quest of game, we might not 

 be surprised ourselves. 



