22 IN THE INDIAN JUNGLE. 



old mines, I agreed to this plan, and arranged to 

 go next morning. Nothing would induce any of 

 my camp-followers to accompany me, cock-coop or 

 no cock-coop. 



Starting off early next morning, we had a good 

 ten miles to go before we got to the low hills, 

 some two hundred feet above the broad valley of 

 the Nullamullays, where the old pits were said to 

 be. The jungle was very dense giant bamboos and 

 large forest trees, with much tall grass and under- 

 growth of thorns. The Chentsus stalked on in front, 

 with the baskets on their heads. As we neared the 

 site of the old pits, I noticed that the large trees 

 had disappeared, but the undergrowth was more 

 dense, showing that at one time this had been a 

 forest clearing. Permal now advanced with great 

 caution, and asked me to put one of the baskets 

 over my head, he and his fellow getting under 

 the other. After some demur I did so, and we 

 had gone less than half-a-mile in this fashion, 

 when suddenly a peculiar whistling noise was heard 

 on our right. The Chentsus immediately squatted 

 down and seized the cord hanging from the centre 

 of the basket, so as to hold it firmly down with- 

 out exposing the hands. Permal made signs to 

 me to do the same, and said there were two king- 

 cobras about ; and that the whistle was that of the 

 female calling to her mate, and that we should be 

 attacked almost immediately. Down we all three 

 squatted therefore, with the baskets over us, and 

 firmly held on to the centre cord, so as to fix 

 them hard on to the ground. We waited perhaps 



