that one did not wish to fire it, except at an elephant, as it left its mark on one’s shoulder* We had been carefully drilled by Arbuthnot as to the great importance of getting as close as possible before firing, and of aiming only at those spots on the head where a bullet would pene¬ trate the brain, As none of us had any experience in elephant hunting, except our host, he thought it best that we should hunt in couples, draw¬ ing lots for first shot, with the understanding that, if the elephant did not fall to the first shot, the other man should fire at once.
On the 28th the trackers, who had been out since daylight, came in to say that there were elephants feeding within two miles of camp. When we drew near the place, it was discovered that there were two distinct herds, but the jungle was so dense that it was impossible to say whether there were any tuskers with them. Arbuthnot and Bridgeman went after one herd, Barne and I took the other. We followed the tracks for a long time, crossing a beautiful stream with sandy pools overhung by large teak and tamarind trees, and finally got near the herd in a place where the ground was soft and marshy. The jungle was so dense that one could not see twenty yards in any direction, but we followed the fresh tracks very cautiously and finally sighted, about twenty yards off in an opening, two cows, one of which had a calf, and a male with moderate tusks. They did not see us, and I took a steady shot with the big rifle at what I believed to be the correct spot in the bull’s forehead; but he did not fall, and went off with the cows. 1 had hit him a few inches too low. Barne tried to cut him off, but missed him in the thick bush, and when we rejoined each other we decided to follow the track, which was slightly marked with blood. I do not mind confessing that, though when the beasts were in sight I was perfectly cool and free from funk, yet when following up a wounded bull, who might charge at any moment through the thick jungle, I was not so comfortable. Colonel Michael had told me of a case when he was charged by a wounded elephant, who actually tried to drive his tusks through him whilst he lay on the ground; by a miraculous chance one tusk was broken and only pressed on his body without breaking the skin, whilst the sound tusk made a hole in the ground beside him. How¬ ever we never saw our elephant again, and, as the body was never found, I suppose that he recovered from the wound.
For the next week we continued hunting in this valley without much success, for though Bridgeman killed a small tusker, and Barne wounded another, I never had another chance at an elephant; we did not like to shoot at any other game for fear of disturbing the elephants. On one occa¬ sion I was so close to a cow that I could see her trunk breaking off branches within five yards of me; but I never saw her body, and when she got my wind she went off with a rush and very nearly ran over Bridegman, who was behind a tree. The salt licks were probably the great attraction for elephants there; the valley, uninhabited except by a few jungle men, is said to be very unhealthy for most of the year.
Early in February, as Arbuthnot had to return to his work, we broke up our camp and marched to a large village called Bodenaikenoor, near which place bison are found on the hills adjoining the Travancore territory. Here we were to meet Mr. Munro, who was in the service of the Rajah of
