remaining eighteen were in a long line about
a quarter of a mile from the shore, feeding in deep water.

We were well concealed by the various trees which grew upon the dam,
and we passed half an hour in watching the manoeuvres of the great
beasts as they bathed and sported in the cool water. However, this was
not elephant-shooting, and the question was, how to get at them? The
natives had no idea of the sport, as they seemed to think it very odd
that we did not fire at those within a hundred paces' distance. I now
regretted my absent gun-bearers, as I plainly saw that these village
people would be worse than useless.

We determined to take a stroll along the base of the dam to reconnoitre
the ground, as at present it seemed impossible to make an attack; and
even were the elephants within the forest, there appeared to be no
possibility of following them up through such deep water and heavy
ground with any chance of success. however, they were not in the
forest, being safe, belly and shoulder deep, in the tank.

We strolled through mud and water thigh-deep for a few hundred paces,
when we suddenly came upon the spot where in ages past the old dam had
been carried away. Here the natives had formed a mud embankment
strengthened by sticks and wattles. Poor fellows! we were not
surprised at their wishing the elephants destroyed; the repair of their
fragile dam was now a daily occupation, for the elephants, as though
out of pure mischief, had chosen this spot as their thoroughfare to and
from the lake, and the dam was trodden down in all directions.

We found that the margin of the forest was everywhere flooded to a
width of about two hundred yards, after which it was tolerably dry; we
therefore returned to our former post.

It struck me that the only way to secure a shot at the herd would be to
employ a ruse, which I had once practiced successfully some years ago.
Accordingly we sent the greater part of the villagers for about a half
a mile along the edge of the lake, with orders to shout and make a
grand hullaballoo on arriving at their station. It seemed most
probable that on being disturbed the elephants would retreat to the
forest by their usual thoroughfare; we accordingly stood on the alert,
ready for a rush to any given point which the herd should attempt in
their retreat.

Some time passed in expectation, when a sudden yell broke from the far
point, as though twenty demons had cramp in the stomach. Gallan