END OF THE ANIMALLAI CAMPAIGN. 215 



for about five miles, to show their good "svill, and even in spite of 

 their late waywardness I felt quite sorrv to jDart from them. They 

 were bound to me by the ties which only a hunter can understand, 

 and I shall always have the " man-and-a-brother " feeling for my 

 faithful and courageous companions of the chase. Together we had 

 been in at the death of many a fine animal. They had always shown 

 themselves plucky in the face of danger, and except in two instan- 

 ces, they had always been faithful and obedient. They begged me 

 to come back soon and shoot some more elephants, and loudly la- 

 mented that I needed to go away at all Poor wretches ! it will 

 be a long time, I fancy, before they have another such a " continual 

 feast" of bison, deer, pig, and monkey as they grew fat upon dur- 

 ing my four months' shooting on those hills. They are too poor 

 to own fire-arms, or even to use them, hence the greater part of the 

 time they hunger for flesh with game all around them. 



When our train reached the top of the pass and began to de- 

 scend the winding, slippery, and dangerous road, heavy clouds 

 swept against the mountain side, enveloping us in their disagree- 

 able mist, which veiy soon gave way to more serious moisture as 

 the rain began to descend upon us in blinding sheets. Luckily I 

 had packed into one of the bandies the articles which it was abso- 

 lutely necessary to keep dry, and this load I effectually covered 

 with my tent-cloth and rubber blankets. Of course we were all 

 drenched to the skin, and the rain was verv cold. Half-wav down 

 the ghaut, one of our bandies took a sudden sHde in rounding a 

 sharp curve, and came within tico inches of going over a precipice 

 and smashing the whole outfit. The road had become a running 

 iream and progress was very unsafe. 



Thus was our Paradise lost. Like the pair that was driven 

 from Eden, we went down the rugged road in storm and darkness, 

 into the cheerless and inhospitable plains. How different from the 

 gloom surrounding our departure was the balmy sunshine of our 

 first ascent, when all natvure seemed to smile. 



Just at dark we reached Ardivarum, at the foot of the ghaut, 

 thoroughly bedraggled, and chilled to the bone. The other ban- 

 dies were waiting for us, and we lost no time in transfen-ing our 

 freight to them. Doraysawmy was attacked with a severe chill 

 which made his teeth chatter for two hours. Luckily we found 

 at Ardivarum a fourth bandy, and I struck a bargain with the 

 driver to take my boy and me to Animallai. We put into it our 

 camp-chest and box of clothes, and, leaving the heavily loaded carts 



