TREED BY A WILD BUFFALO. 115 



out the tracks of a buffalo, plainly seen in the soft 

 mud. The foot-prints were of enormous size, fully 

 seven inches from front to rear, indicating that 

 the beast was of the largest size. Instructing the 

 mahout to keep within sight, we followed up the 

 trail rapidly. In a small paddy-flat, miles away 

 from any village, we saw where he had had a 

 wallow and had trampled down a large part of the 

 field. Charun signed to us now to be careful 

 as the bull was not far off, and kept throwing 

 quick glances from side to side, as it is a well- 

 known habit of these solitary bulls before resting 

 to make a slight detour and come back to within 

 sight of their own tracks, so as to see any animal 

 that might be following them up. We had just 

 cleared the little paddy-flat and had got into the 

 heavy forest beyond, when we heard a shrill scream 

 from Bheestie, the elephant, and saw her flounder- 

 ing across the flat with apparently another elephant 

 behind her urging her on. Trumpet after trumpet 

 from Bheestie, and the yells of the mahout soon 

 made it clear that the second animal was none 

 other than the solitary bull, who had probably 

 made a detour and hidden himself in the dense 

 jungle near his tracks. Why he had allowed us 

 to pass and then charged the elephant it was 

 hard at the time to say, as these brutes will not 

 charge unless wounded or hard pressed ; but an 

 explanation was forthcoming afterwards. Anyhow, 

 there he was, prodding at Bheestie behind, and 

 fairly lifting her off her hind legs, while she let 

 out a shrill scream at each successive prod. The 



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