ch, taking an opposite direction, of course divided
them. Being determined to stick to Bluebeard to the last, I made
straight through the jungle toward the point at which I had heard a
portion of the pack join him, intending to get upon their track and
follow up. This I soon did; and after running for some time through
the jungle, which, being young "nillho," was unmistakably crushed by
the elk and hounds, I came to a capital though newly-made path, as a
single elephant, having been disturbed by the cry of the hounds, had
started off at full speed; and the elk and hounds, naturally choosing
the easiest route through the jungle, had kept upon his track. This I
was certain of, as the elk's print sunk deep in that of the elephant,
whose dung, lying upon the spot, was perfectly hot.

I fully expected that the hounds would bring the elephant to bay, which
is never pleasant when you are without a gun; however, they did not,
but, sticking to their true game, they went straight away toward the
chain of mountains at the end of the plain. The river, in making its
exit, is checked by abrupt precipices, and accordingly makes an angle
and then descends a ravine toward the low country.

I felt sure, from the nature of the ground and the direction of the
run, that the elk would come to bay in this ravine; and, after half an
hour's run, I was delighted, on arriving on the hill above, to hear the
bay, of the bounds in the river far below.

The jungle was thick and tangled, but it did not take long, to force my
way down the steep mountain side, and I neared the spot and heard the
splashing in the river, as the elk, followed by the hounds, dashed
across just before I came in view. He had broken his bay; and,
presently, I again heard the chorus of voices as he once more came to a
stand a few hundred paces down the river.

The bamboo was so thick that I could hardly break my way through it;
and I was crashing along toward the spot, when suddenly the bay ceased,
and shortly after some of the hounds came hurrying up to me regularly
scared. Lena, who seldom showed a symptom of fear, dashed up to me in
a state of great excitement, with the deep scores of a leopard's claws
on her hindquarters. Only two couple of the hounds followed on the
elk's track; the rest were nowhere.

The elk had doubled back, and I saw old Bluebeard leading upon the
scent up the bank of the river, followed by three other bounds.

The surest, although the hard