Jungle By -Ways in India 



especially snappy dogs and hares and suchlike 

 small fry who, getting up at or playing around the 

 feet, upset for quite a time the equanimity and 

 serenity of its temper. 



We are now approaching cultivated lands, and 

 so keep a look out for black buck. Have you ever 

 noticed what a strong instinctive dislike black 

 buck have for elephants ? 



It is curious, but many mahouts will tell you 

 that it is a fact. I remember an occasion when on 

 several evenings in the course of a fortnight I tried 

 to approach a small herd of these little animals on 

 the elephant. A habit of theirs is to always live 

 in the same area or tract of country, usually quite 

 a small one, so that it is not difficult to find a herd 

 you have once marked down. Time after time the 

 tale was always the same. I arrived on the edge , 

 of the jungle to see the antelope going full speed 

 across the open cultivation beyond and well 

 beyond a decent range. The patch of jungle, 

 though a couple of miles long, was nowhere more 

 than 300-400 yards across and thinned out at the 

 end to about 50 yards breadth. The animals could 

 easily have broken out at the sides, but each even- 

 ing they kept in the forest until it ended, and then 

 went away* full tilt. 



I changed my plan of campaign. One evening, 

 leaving the elephant to come through the jungle, 

 I took up my position on foot at the far edge of 

 the forest. Sure enough, on three evenings out of 



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