WILD LIFE ACROSS THE WORLD 



I succeeded in getting some flash-light photographs 

 of elephants and squirrels, a truly strange combination ; 

 but, curiously enough, I had no adventures of any sort, 

 save on one occasion when a herd of elephants took 

 fright at a thunder-storm and stampeded through 

 the jungle, knocking down the trees in their terror. 

 For a few moments my heart was in my mouth; but 

 my luck held good, and my particular tree was not 

 touched. Still, it was a narrow shave. 



One evening when, as usual, I had clambered 

 into my perch in the tree, fixed a rope round my chest 

 and made it fast, so that if I went to sleep I should 

 not tumble out, I seemed to see half the dwellers in 

 the jungle during the short space between sunset and 

 dark. The assistant game-ranger had not left me 

 ten minutes when a beautiful spotted deer came along, 

 jumping as though he were on india-rubber pads. For 

 a moment he stood still, head in air, looking up-wind ; 

 then, like a flash, he was gone. A few seconds later 

 I understood the reason, for sHnking through the 

 undergrowth, but some fifteen yards from me, was a 

 large tiger in splendid condition. Unfortunately, I 

 did not secure a photograph of the brute. Imme- 

 diately afterwards some extraordinary bird — the leaves 

 prevented me from seeing him clearly, but I could 

 make out his black and white plumage and his long 

 tail — came to entertain me with a song. It was really 

 like an imitation of an organ, the vocalist having a 



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