Hunting Scenes 145 



a sign of the great beast was visible. The 

 sun shone brightly on the green grass, now 

 unruffled by any breeze ; no track could be 

 discerned, for the vegetation had closed over 

 the passage of the jungle tribes who below 

 had formed little tunnels for their use. It was 

 on the elephant that the hunters must depend 

 for information as to the whereabouts of the 

 hunted. And this was soon given. Maula 

 Bux halted and waved his trunk above the 

 grasses, then for one second it remained poised 

 pointing to the source whence came the tainted 

 air. 



At the same moment there was a rush through 

 the grass, and the ready rifle again was fired. 

 The rush subsided to a walk, and behind the 

 elephant the grass nodded and trembled as a 

 way was forced through it by some invisible 

 animal. Some twenty yards 

 behind followed the hunters, till 

 the end of the savannah land 

 was reached, and then a heavy 

 head armed with spreading 

 horns protruded. The buffalo, 



K 



