Hunting Scenes 



139 



beside his master. A horse whinnied, and the 

 watchful grooms stirred to find the cause of 

 the disturbance ; then 

 the darkness of the 

 night shut out all further 

 movement. The ele- 

 phant, on whom this 

 darkness had little 

 effect, though he used his trunk constantly as 

 a blind man will use his stick on an unknown 

 road, moved steadily away towards the hills, 

 the intention being to intercept the forest tribes 

 as they moved, heavy with food, to their resting 

 places for the day. From time to time their 

 presence could be heard, but nothing could be 

 seen by human eyes. There would be the 

 belling of the sambhar, or the sharp alarm of 

 the swamp deer, followed by a rustling through 

 the grass : or from the distance would come the 

 grunting of some tiger disappointed in the 

 chase, or the trumpeting of a herd of elephants. 

 When daylight broke Maula Bux had reached 

 the foot of a range of hills which barred the 

 view to the north, while to the south extended 



