44 IN THE INDIAN JUNGLE. 



day. He was never known to attack Europeans. 

 He would lie in wait in some unfrequented part 

 of the road and allow any suspicious-looking 

 object to pass ; but when he saw a line of native 

 carts, or a small company of native travellers, 

 he would rush out with a scream and a trumpet 

 and overturn carts and kick them to pieces, and 

 woe betide the unfortunate human being that fell 

 into his clutches ! He would smash them to a pulp 

 beneath his huge feet, or tear them limb from 

 limb. 



Much of the above information regarding Peer 

 Bux was gleaned at the Dak Bungalow (travellers' 

 rest-house) at Hunsur, where a party of four, in- 

 cluding myself, were staying while engaged in a 

 shooting trip along that belt of forest which 

 forms the boundary between Mysore and British 

 territory to the south-west. Our shoot thus far 

 had been very unsuccessful. Beyond a few 

 spotted deer and some game birds we had 

 bagged nothing. The Government notification of 

 a reward for the destruction of the rogue-elephant 

 stared us in the face at every turn we took in 

 the long, cool verandah of the bungalow. We had 

 not come out prepared for elephant-shooting, yet 

 there was a sufficiency of heavy metal in our 

 armoury, we thought, to try conclusions with even 

 so formidable an antagonist as Peer Bux, should 

 we meet with him. Disgust at the want of 

 success hitherto of our shikar expedition, and the 

 tantalizing effects of the Government notice show- 

 ing that there was game very much in evidence 



