lage, the night fell, and,
while we were threading the gigantic forest by the light of torches,
the only thing at all like an adventure promised to occur to us; but
it ended in nothing. The party consisted of six palankeens, each
attended by eight bearers, though only four at a time, or at most six,
supported the poles; these trotted along by the side of the bearers,
between two and three dozen coolies or porters carrying provisions and
torches.

With a mixture of vague alarm and curiosity we now listened to the
accounts of wild elephants in these woods, though in the morning we
had heard the same stories with indifference and incredulity; while
the old hands of the party, who had felt rather piqued at our distrust
of their marvellous narrations, pointed out with malicious
satisfaction the recent foot-marks of these undisputed and formidable
lords of the soil.

Sir Samuel and Lady Hood, with some of his staff, had left their
palankeens and walked forward on the path, which barely admitted two
people abreast, in order to enjoy the exceeding beauty of the Indian
jungle, lighted up with the blaze of our torches. Suddenly the
headmost musalgee or torch-bearer paused, listened, and then
retreated precipitately, upon the hinder ranks. Nothing was said by
them, and nothing could we hear in the woods to explain the cause of
this panic, which, however, soon became general amongst the natives.
The bearers set down the palankeens, and in an instant they, as well
as all the coolies, took to their heels, while the torches flitted
about in the forest in a style which, had there been no apprehension,
might have been acknowledged as very picturesque. Sir Samuel not
only stood fast himself, but ordered all of us to do so
likewise--remarking, that, until we knew what to fly from, we might
only be making matters worse by moving. Presently the loud crashing of
the underwood of the forest, and a heavy thumping on the ground, gave
abundant evidence that a wild elephant was close to us.

Some of the natives told us afterwards that they had seen the monster;
but, although we peered into the forest with all our eyes, none of us
could honestly take upon us to say we actually saw him--though
assuredly we heard his footsteps as he broke his way through the
jungle. Robinson Crusoe and his wolves in Tartary came to our
recollection; and upon our asking the natives what effect fires really
had on wild beasts, they all assured us that hardly any a