ush affords them
a secure and cool cover.

The rumbling noise in their vast interior they cannot keep quiet: this
sounds like bubbles coming up in water, and is sure to be heard every
five or ten minutes on a still day, even when at a hundred yards'
distance.

We had proceeded about two miles on their traces, and had entered the
densest part of the forest, when we heard this noise, and at once sat
down to listen, to find out all about them.

One's senses become wonderfully acute when much employed at this sort of
work, but still they are far inferior to those of the animals which are
being pursued.

You move with great caution, and apparently very quietly through the
dark avenues that the elephant has made for you; yet, upon getting a
peep at the branches of a far-distant tree, twenty or thirty monkeys are
to be seen watching you, and skipping about from branch to branch, as
though in derision of your unskilful attempt at a surprise. The single
note repeatedly and slowly uttered by some hermit-like bird, suddenly
ceases as you come within a hundred yards of him, and he flits away
under the arches of the forest, his brilliant plumage glittering in the
sun. These, and many other facts, intimate that man's faculties are
dull and imperfect, in comparison with those of the animals which live
in these mysterious regions.

When you know that the giant of the forest is not inferior in either the
sense of smell or hearing to any animal in creation, and has, besides,
intelligence enough to know that you are his enemy, and also for what
you have come, it becomes a matter of great care how, when, and where to
approach him.

"They must never know you are coming, and have time to make a plan," was
the advice of a famous elephant-hunter. I carried it out on all
possible occasions.

We continued our advance till we were within a hundred yards of the
elephant that we had first heard. We sat down and listened for some
minutes to discover if any others were near, as it would have been
injudicious to make an attack on this one, and thereby stand a chance of
having our retreat cut off by any other elephant that might be nearer.
We discovered no others very close, but the snapping of branches in the
distance occasionally showed that our purposed victim was not without
company. Throwing up some sand, we found the wind was favourable for
our advance, although the eddies that are always met in the bash
rendered it advisable to mo