We shortly heard a cracking in
the jungle on our right, and Jali assured us, that, as he had
expected, the elephants were slowly advancing along the jungle on
the bank of the river, and they would pass exactly before us. We
waited patiently in the bed of the river, and the cracking in the
jungle sounded closer as the herd evidently approached. The strip
of thick thorny covert that fringed the margin was in no place
wider than half a mile--beyond that, the country was open and
park-like, but at this season it was covered with parched grass
from eight to ten feet high; the elephants would, therefore, most
probably remain in the jungle until driven out.
In about a quarter of an hour, we heard by the noise in the
jungle, about a hundred yards from the river, that the elephants
were directly opposite to us. I accordingly instructed Jali to
creep quietly by himself into the bush and to bring me
information of their position: to this he at once agreed.
In three or four minutes he returned; he declared it impossible
to use the sword, as the jungle was so dense that it would check
the blow, but that I could use the rifle, as the elephants were
close to us--he had seen three standing together, between us and
the main body of the herd.
