56 IN THE INDIAN JUNGLE. 



' The officers arrived two days ago at Periya- 

 patna, a large village half-way to Frazerpett, and 

 while camped there, a native brought in informa- 

 tion of a bullock having been killed at his village 

 some four miles off. The Sahibs determined to sit 

 up in a machan over the kill, and do for the tiger 

 when he returned to his meal. They left their 

 camp-followers and baggage at Periyapatna, and 

 accompanied only by himself (the ranger) and 

 the native who brought the information, they 

 rode out on Dod Kempa, took their places on the 

 machan, and sent the mahout back with the ele- 

 phant with orders for him to come back at dawn 

 next day to take them back to camp. The tiger 

 did not turn up that night, and the whole party 

 were on their way back to Periyapatna in the 

 early dawn, when suddenly Dod Kempa stopped, 

 and striking the ground with the end of his trunk, 

 made that peculiar drumming noise which is the 

 usual signal of alarm with these animals when they 

 scent tiger or other danger. It was still early 

 morning, so that they could barely see any object 

 in the shadow of the forest trees. The elephant 

 now began to back, curl away his trunk, and sway 

 his head from side to side. The mahout said he was 

 about to charge, and that there must be another 

 elephant in the path. We could barely keep our 

 seats on the pad, so violent was the motion caused 

 by the elephant backing and swaying from side to 

 side. The officers had to hold on tight by the 

 ropes, so that they could not use their guns, when 

 there in the distance, only fifty yards off, we saw 



