200 TWO YEARS IN THE JUNGLE. 



feeding up and down in that thorny tangle, crashing over the fallen 

 bamboos, within thirty yards of us sometimes, but I dared not at- 

 tack them. I supposed then that I was over-cautious, and that an 

 older hunter would have gone at them as they were without delay ; 

 but I resolved I would not do it, cowardly or not. I have since 

 found that even the oldest hands sometimes find their elephants in 

 such cover that they dare not venture into it, and my caution was 

 well-timed. 



Once I screwed my courage u]y and ventured into the thicket 

 for about forty paces, alone, but with my gun ready for instant use. 

 Suddenly there rose, out of the thick bushes close before me, the 

 end of a huge trunk with the tip bent forward, scenting the air. 

 In an instant I was discovered, and the elephant gave a jDerfect 

 bugle call, loud, clear, and thrilling. Dii'ectly the elephants wenc 

 crashing wildly up and down over the fallen bamboos, making a 

 fearful noise ; I turned and ran for open ground, and at that mo- 

 ment there came a sharp clap of thunder. For a moment I believe 

 my hair actually stood on end, for it seemed as if bedlam had 

 broken loose ; but I soon gained the shelter of a tree, and had a 

 quiet smile at my fright. Shortly after this it began to rain in tor- 

 rents, and being within about five miles of camp we went home. 



Doraysawmy expressed himself as having been deeply con- 

 cerned lest I should come to grief under the feet of an elephant, and 

 my safe return took a great weight from his mind. That night he 

 held a solemn council with Vera and Channa, enjoining them to 

 take the greatest care of me. My trackers said to him, so he told 

 me, that "it would not do at all for the sahib to get killed, for if 

 he should, who would give them and their people rice and tobacco, 

 arrack and money, to say nothing of fresh meat ? " Yes, they said, 

 they would be very careful of him. 



The next morning at daybreak, equipped as before, we set out 

 for the spot where we left the trail the previous evening. The 

 chase that day led through the worst jungle I saw anywhere in India, 

 and over the roughest ground. 



Early in the day it took to the side of an immense ridge several 

 mUes in extent, half a mile from top to bottom, and everywhere 

 verj' steep. The ridge was scored all along with deep nullahs, one 

 after another, and the whole slope was a tangled mass of dead bam- 

 boo clumps, some fallen bodily and others stQl standing ; rank, 

 green bushes and vines, set with cruel, hook-like thorns, and tall 

 grass everywhere, making the tangled density more complete. 



