I found my first experience in shooting from a howdah to be
anything but agreeable: the deer bounds through the long grass as a
rabbit would through turnips; and, at the moment one catches a glimpse of
his head, the elephant is sure to be going down a steep place, or
stopping or going on suddenly, or trumpeting, or doing something which
completely balks a sportsman accustomed to be on his own legs, and sends
the ball flying in any direction but the right one. Our line of
elephants consisted of upwards of one hundred, and they beat regularly
and silently enough, except when the behaviour of one of them irritated
some passionate mahout, who would vent his wrath upon the head of the
animal by a blow from a short iron rod, or would catch him sharply under
the ear with a huge hook, which he dexterously applied to a sore kept
open for that purpose; then a loud roar of pain would sound through the
jungle for a moment, much to our disgust, as it startled the deer we were
silently and gradually approaching.

The pig, which formed part of the game-bag of the afternoon, was, in the
first instance, only severely wounded, and an elephant was commanded to
finish the poor brute; as he lay, grimly surveying us, his glistening
tusks looked rather formidable,--so at least the elephant seemed to
think, as for some time he strongly objected to approach him. At last he
went timidly up and gave the boar a severe kick with his fore-foot,
drawing it back quickly with a significant grunt, which plainly intimated
his opinion that he had done as much as could reasonably be expected of
him. His mahout, however, thought otherwise, and, by dint of severe
irritation on the sore behind his ear, seemed to drive him to
desperation, as the elephant suddenly backed upon the pig, and, getting
him between his hind legs, ground them together, and absolutely broke him
up. After this we went crashing home, regardless of the thick jungle
through which we passed, as the impending boughs were snapped, at the
word of the mahouts, by the obedient and sagacious animals they bestrode.

Daybreak of the 30th of January found us not foot in stirrup, but foot on
ladder, for we were mounting our elephants to proceed in search of the
monarch of the Indian jungles, intelligence of the lair of a male and
female having been brought into camp overnight. A hundred elephants
followed in a line, forming a picturesque procession, towards the long
grass jungle in which our nob