sound was heard but the soft padding of their elephant's huge
feet in the dust of the road. The subaltern soon found the _howdah_
infinitely more trying than a seat on the pad when Badshah was in
motion; for the plunging gait of the animal jerked him backwards and
forwards and threw him against the wooden rails if he forgot to hold
himself at arm's length from them. The discomfort spoiled his
appreciation of the strange, attractive experience of being borne by
night through the sleepless forest, where in the dark hours only the
bird and the monkey repose; and even to them the creeping menace of the
climbing snake affrights the one and the wheeling shapes of the
night-flying birds of prey scare the other. But on the ground all are
awake. The glimmering whiteness of the road was occasionally blotted by
the scurrying forms of animals, hunted and hunters, dashing across it.
Once a tiny shriek in the distance broke the silence of the jungle.

"A wild elephant," said Colonel Dermot.

Then followed the loud crashing of rending boughs and falling trees.

"That's a herd feeding. They graze until about ten o'clock and then
sleep on well into the small hours, wake and begin to feed again at
dawn," continued the Political Officer.

Once a wild, unearthly wailing cry that seemed to come from every
direction at once startled the subaltern:

"Good Heavens! what's that?" he exclaimed, gripping his rifle and trying
to pierce the darkness around them.

"Only a Giant Owl," was the reply. "It's an uncanny noise. There!"

Right over their heads it rang out again; and the stars above them were
blotted out for a moment by a dark, circling shape above the tree-tops.

Hour after hour went by as they were borne along through the night; and
Wargrave bruised and battered by the _howdah_-rails, fell constantly
against them, so overcome with sleep was he. At last to his relief his
companion called a halt for a few hours' rest; and they brought the
elephant to his knees, dismounted and stripped him of _howdah_ and pad.
Sitting on the latter they supped on sandwiches and coffee from Thermos
flasks, and then stretched themselves to sleep, while Badshah standing
over them grazed on the grasses and branches within reach. Wargrave was
dropping off to sleep when he was roused by the sharp, _staccato_ bark
of a _khakur_ buck repeated several times. The tired man lost
consciousness and was sunk in profound slumber when the silence of the
forest was