330 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA YS 
CHAP. 
the stag, as usual, having gone off at railway 
pace. 
“ The important question now was, ‘ Where was 
he gone ?’ 
“ This was the old story over again, and the hunt 
seemed likely to have its customary termination. 
We had hitherto imagined that the stag had 
escaped by going off to the left at the base of the 
hills, and by ultimately rounding the extremity of 
the range, and by this means getting into a jungle 
country of enormous extent. 
“ Upon this supposition Jem started off towards 
the second Elk Plains, in the expectation of hearing 
them as they rounded the extremity of the hills. 
“ On the other hand, I was of opinion that they 
had gone over the hills, as the voices of the tailing 
hounds (which I distinctly heard) were very high up. 
We had run out of the jungle so quickly that I felt 
convinced we must have heard the leading dogs, 
and the entire pack, had they not already topped the 
range. 
“Accordingly I started off, and entering the 
jungle, I made straight for the hollow between the 
mountains in which I had last heard the dogs, with 
the determination of following up their tracks if I 
should be fortunate enough to find them. 
“ After toiling for some time through the thick 
jungle I arrived at the hollow, and I shortly dis¬ 
covered a capital path made by elephants of all dates, 
and which, from its beaten appearance and total 
absence from underwood, was evidently the direct 
