rts and mine united,
hauling on the mooring-rope, sufficed to bring her in to the bank. The
three struggling horses were yet in the current, trying bravely to
stem the furious rush of the river. The syces and my friends were
holding hard to the tether-ropes, which were now at their full
stretch. It was a most critical moment. Had they let go, the horses
would have been swept away to form a meal for the alligators. They
managed, however, to get in close to the bank, and here, although the
water was still over their backs, they got a slight and precarious
footing, and inch by inch struggled after the boat, which we were now
pulling up to the landing place.

After a sore struggle, during which we thought more than once the
gallant nags would never emerge from the water, they staggered up the
bank, dripping, trembling, and utterly overcome with their exertions.
It was my first introduction to the treacherous Koosee, and I never
again attempted to swim a horse across at night. We led the poor tired
creatures up to the fire, heaping on fresh bundles of thatching-grass,
of which there was plenty lying about, the syces then rubbed them
down, and shampooed their legs, till they began to take a little
heart, whinnying as we spoke to them and caressed them.

After resting for nearly an hour, we replaced the saddles, and F., who
by this time began to mistrust his knowledge of the jungles by night,
allowed one of the peons, who was sure he knew every inch of the road,
to lead the way. Leaving the smouldering flames to flicker and burn
out in solitude, we again plunged into the darkness of the night,
threading our way through the thick jungle grass, now loaded with dewy
moisture, and dripping copious showers upon us from its high walls at
either side of the narrow track. We crossed a rapid little stream, an
arm of the main river, turned to the right, progressed a few hundred
yards, turned to the left, and finally came to a dead stop, having
again lost our way.

We heaped execrations on the luckless peon's head, and I suggested
that we should make for the main stream, follow up the bank till we
reached the next ghat, where I knew there was a cart-road leading to
the factory. Otherwise we might wander all night in the jungles,
perhaps get into another quicksand, or come to some other signal
grief. We accordingly turned round. We could hear the swish of the
river at no great distance, and soon, stumbling over bushes and
bursting thr