alley a view
of the panorama of forest and plain lying below.

As they passed a clump of tangled bushes a rustle and a pattering over
the dry leaves under them caught the Colonel's ear.

"Look out! _Kalej_," he whispered, picking up a stone and throwing it
into the cover. A large speckled black and white bird whirred out; and
Wargrave brought it down.

"Good shot! There's another," called out Dermot, and fired with equal
success. "We're lucky," he continued. "As a rule they won't break, but
scuttle along under the bushes, so that one often has to shoot them
running."

Frank picked up the birds and examined them with interest before the
Colonel stuffed them into his game bag and moved on down the path, which
was growing steeper. The trees became more numerous and larger as they
descended nearer the forest. Out of another clump of bushes the
sportsmen succeeded in getting a second brace of pheasants. Lower down
they passed through a belt of bamboos, where in one spot the long
feathery boughs were broken off or twisted in wild confusion for a space
of fifty yards' radius.

"Wild elephants," said the Political Officer briefly and pointed to a
patch of dust in which was the round imprint of a huge foot.

Frank was a little startled; for he felt that against these great
animals the bullets in their guns would be useless.

"Are they dangerous, sir?" he asked.

"Not as a rule when they are in a herd, although cow-elephants with
calves may be so, fearing peril for their young. But sometimes a bull
takes to a solitary life, becomes vicious and develops into a dangerous
rogue. It probably happens that, finding crops growing near a jungle
village and raiding them, he is driven off by the cultivators, turns
savage and kills some of them. Then he usually seems to take a hatred to
all human beings and attacks them on sight. Hallo! here we are at the
_peelkhana_ at last."

They had reached the high wooden building which housed the three
transport elephants of the detachment. In the clearing before it Badshah
and another animal were standing, a group of _mahouts_ and coolies near
them.

"We'll mount and start at once," said Colonel Dermot, beckoning to his
elephant, which came to him. "Get up, Wargrave."

The subaltern looked up doubtfully at the pad on Badshah's back.

"How can I, sir? Isn't he going to kneel?" he asked.

"Put your foot on his trunk when he crooks it and grab hold of his ears.
He'll lift you up then."