46 IN THE INDIAN JUNGLE. 



will shoot as straight as the rifle and hit quite as 

 hard." 



Our horses and pack-bullocks were picketed 

 within one of the out-offices, and all the native 

 servants took shelter inside the other. Great 

 fires were kindled before the out-offices as a pre- 

 cautionary measure not that we expected the 

 elephant that night. We were in bed betimes, as 

 we meant to be up at daybreak and have a good 

 hunt all round, under the guidance of the Kuram- 

 bas, who promised to take us to the rogue's 

 favourite haunts when in that neighbourhood. 

 The dak-bungalow had but two rooms. That in 

 which O - and myself slept had a window over- 

 looking the out-offices. In the adjacent room 



slept F and K . Towards the small hours 



of the morning I was awakened by a loud discharge 

 of fire-arms from F- 's room, followed by the 

 unmistakable fierce trumpeting of an enraged 

 elephant. There is no mistaking that sound when 

 once heard. Catching up our rifles we rushed into 

 the next room and found F , gun in hand, 

 peering out through the broken window frame, and 

 K - trying to strike a light. When F- - had 

 recovered sufficiently from his excitement, he ex- 

 plained that he had been awakened by something 

 trying to encircle his feet through the thick folds 

 of the rug he had wrapped round them. On 

 looking up he thought he could make out the 

 trunk of an elephant thrust through the opening 

 where a pane of glass had been broken in the 

 window. His loaded gun was in the corner by his 



