274 The Hunting Grounds 



of musketry, as these huge denizens of the forest 

 rushed through the thickets, snapping and tearing up 

 everything before them. 



As we were going along, I heard a rustling and a 

 low hissing, and I felt rather startled by seeing a 

 huge snake, which appeared to be of the boa species, 

 coiled round a date-tree, close to which I had passed ; 

 as, however, it did not appear to move, I left it 

 undisturbed, and, after a tramp of about half-an-hour, 

 arrived at a jheel or swamp, at one end of which 

 was a large pool, where three elephants were amusing 

 themselves by sucking up the water in their trunks 

 and spouting it into the air or over their bodies. 

 After a careful reconnaissance I made sure there was 

 no tusker among them, so I left them unmolested, 

 and crept gently round the shady edge of the cover, 

 taking care to keep well to leeward, so as to prevent 

 their getting wind. Passing the swamp, I entered a 

 rather open bamboo-jungle, when, from the peculiar 

 noises on all sides, I knew I was in the middle of a 

 large herd. 



I saw several groups of females browsing about, 

 and threaded my way amongst them, with Chineah 

 close at my side, keeping a sharp look-out for a 

 tusker. We were several times very nearly dis- 

 covered, although we kept in the shade as much as 

 possible, and always strove to get to leeward. I had 

 counted sixteen elephants without having distin- 



