II 
THE ELEPHANT 
67 
I knew that I should be useless, as it would be 
impossible to see a foot ahead in such dense bush, 
but to give them confidence I put my elephant in 
line, and sent forward several scouting elephants to 
form a line along a narrow footpath which cut the 
jungle at right angles about a quarter of a mile 
distant. 
Once more the line advanced, the elephants 
marching shoulder to shoulder, and thus bearing 
down everything before them, as I determined to 
take the jungle backwards and forwards in this close 
order lest the wary tiger might crouch, and escape 
by lying close. 
Several times the elephants sounded, and we 
knew that he must be close at hand, but it was 
absolutely impossible to see anything beyond the 
thick reedy mass, through which the line of elephants 
bored as through a solid obstacle. 
Three times with the greatest patience we 
worked the jungle in this searching manner, when 
on the third advance I left the line, finding the 
impossibility of seeing anything, and took up my 
position outside the jungle on the cultivated land, 
exactly where the footpath was occupied by the 
scout elephants at intervals, which intersected the 
line of advance. 
Presently there was a commotion among the 
elephants, two or three shrill trumpets, then the 
kettle-drum, and for a moment I caught sight of a 
dim shadowy figure stealing through some high 
reeds upon the border which fringed the jungle. I 
