264 IN THE INDIAN JUNGLE. 



which had shifted quarters some thirty miles since 

 the first man was missing ? 



" The men were unmanageable from fear. They 

 would not leave camp but in groups of half a dozen, 

 and when the fatal fourth day came round again, 

 not a soul would leave the clearing to bring even 

 a pot of water. That night extra precautions 

 were used ; additional fires were kindled all round 

 the camp, and the elephants were made to patrol 

 round and round while darkness lasted. The 

 morning-roll was called and thank Heaven ! not 

 a soul was missing. Having got over the fatal 

 day, the men took heart and said we could go 

 on working for the next three days, but on the 

 fourth the same precautions were to be taken. 

 We shifted camp a few miles and did an indifferent 

 day's work, the men going about cautiously and 

 in groups. That night an enormous fire was 

 kindled a little distance from the entrance of my 

 tent, and in a circle round the large fire, and at 

 some distance from it, smaller fires were burned, the 

 men sleeping within this circle of fire. The night 

 passed off without disturbance, and we were 

 congratulating ourselves on having at last overcome 

 the danger, when the roll was called and a Madrassee 

 was reported missing. The men who slept on 

 either side of him were questioned. No, he had 

 not left the camp fire, at least not to their know- 

 ledge ; they had not missed him in the morning. 

 While this examination was going on, an excla- 

 mation from Kissen Sing, the naik of the military 

 police, drew us to the spot where the missing man 



