32
O.P. CORRESPONDENCE.
babbler has made her domed nest and laid her two eggs ; while from a bush, as we pass, glides a vivid green ribbon—a Whipsnake. And yet to the unobservant, wandering along without using his eyes, the jungles are almost void of life, a howling wilderness, unhabited except by a very occasional deer. Movement isi what attracts attention in the jungle, movement and any unusual noise. Anything strange brings the ordinary life of the jungle to a standstill, to be passed by unseen by the unobservant. Suddenly as we moved along the game path, the distant crack of a branch followed by a rending and crackling, the unmistakable sound of an elephant feeding in the forest, brought us to a halt. Having located the direction of the sounds we advanced more cautiously. Presently as we drew up three blurred shapes became visible half hidden among the swaying undergrowth and P., who had won the toss for the first shot, moved forward with a view to picking his animal. Without warning, however, the wind which is always inclined to be treacherous in thick jungle, changed and wafted our scent to the unsuspecting elephants, instantly galvanising them into violent life. With a tremendous crashing of undergrowth they charged off headlong through the densest forest, just like three express engines let loose on their own, and then, silence ; in a moment they had disappeared completely. Well, well, it didn't matter much. There appeared to be no big bull with them, they were probably only a small party of cows, so that they were not much loss. On again we went, searching the whole of that riverside jungle, for a big bull, which was believed to be somewhere in the neighbourhood. Eventually, just as we were thinking of returning towards camp, the distant crash of a tree falling in the still jungle gave us a clue to the direction in which to look. Moving in that direction we began to hear the continued crackle of branches, denoting that our elephant was feeding on the twigs and leaves of the tree that he had just pushed over. Presently he came into partial view, his huge head and forequarters being buried amidst the foliage. So engrossed in feeding was he, that we were able to approach close up and watch him pushing the green stuff into his mouth with his trunk ; but owing to the denseness of the foliage, it was difficult to pick out a vital spot upon the head, at which to fire. After we had waited for some five or ten minutes, he backed partly out and turned half round, enabling P. to take a somewhat uncertain shot, uncertain owing to the difficult light and intervening twigs and foliage. At the shot the elephant staggered, half-fell, recovered, and then crashed off through the jungle into a large patch
