The Jungle Girl

Rohar. And how delightfully cool it is, too, up in the mountains! Well, with this climate and good shooting in the forest below life won't be as dreadful

ught of the woman w

t they had to pass a large, well-built stone bungalow, two-storied, unlike all the others and standing in a lovely garden glowing with the vivid hues of the flowers, the flam

your animal!

little European boy about four years old, who was sprawling almost under the huge feet. And high above its head the

ut, who had turned at his cry, seiz

Those are Durro Mut Sahib's babies

spring up from the ground and beat the grea

ko bhi! Uth! Uth! (Me too, B

t tenderly to the ground and picked up the boy in its stead and lifted him into the air, while he laughed and c

kuro! (S

ether in the Salaamut, the royal s

mahout e

Aye, and that his master, Durro Mut Sahib, is one too. That's like enough. Well, Allah alone knows the truth

he could not believe it wise to allow tiny tots like that to play with such a huge, clumsy animal. He was sure that their mother would

other?" he ask

Sahib (lady) is doubtl

d the gate and passed up through the garden towards the bungalow. As he did so a dainty little figure in white, a charmingly pretty girl with golden ha

ve, of course? Welc

e took off his hat and quickened his steps to meet her, wondering who this delightful young girl-she looked

. My husband, Colonel Dermot, has just gone

than a child herself, the mother of the two chubby babies! T

ciate it a lot just now. I was coming to tell you-I wonder do you know that your babies-I suppose they a

that came with the smile carried his

s," she said. "I left t

red. The young mother evidently

s a bit scared when I saw them. The a

e has looked after them since they were able to crawl. Come and be introduced to him. I must tell you that he is a very exceptional animal. Indeed, we almost forget that he is an animal. He has saved our lives, my husband's and mine, on more than one

they came in sight of the strange nurse and its charges. The tiny girl was seated on the ground ti

! Pir! (Lift me u

mother he ran

ughty Badshah wo

sight of the strang

," said his mother, bending down to

ith an effort and walked over to

do?" he sa

led to her fat little legs and finger in mouth, surveyed him solemnly.

ss

aughed

eart, you darl

pressibly cheering. He swung the dainty mite up in his arms an

'oo," s

exclaimed her mother laughin

e right. She held out her hand to it. The long trunk shot out, brushed her fingers and then

h, this is a

ed forward and extended his hand. The animal smelt it a

said Mrs. Dermot seriously. "And th

Frank's neck, stretched ou

Badshah,"

caressingly on her golden head

or bed," said their mother.

hugged its leg tightly, while the snaky tru

; and at his mother's bidding the b

waving her hand to the mammoth, while her litt

ute and, turning, walked with swaying

"And how wonderfully well trained he is. I'm not su

ermot

ate property now. The Government of India presented him to Kevin. Now come back to th

t feel thirsty up in this deliciously cool air. It's awful do

o to the Mess. You are

away up the hill after the mahouts had br

he other one being engaged in holding Eileen, who was perched on the subaltern's shoulder. Mrs. Dermot

ked mildly at him with their glass eyes; while tigers, bears and panthers snarled at him from the ground. Long elephant-tusks leaned in corners, smoking and liqueur-tables made up from the mammoths' legs and feet stood about, and crossed from ceiling to floor; on the

ation at the fine collection o

d skins you've got here!" he exclai

the room, while pouring out the

natural history," she answered. "Yes, they are all Kev

her in open

lendid!" he said. "Hav

she replie

said. "I've never even

ave, you ought to have little difficulty in b

oping for it here. Shall I? I've never had any, although I'

ctor of your detachment, go in for it, the latter because his sight is very bad, Major Hunt because he doesn't care for it.

g," exclaimed Frank

e someone for company. I used to go with him always, u

n't know much about those animals, but isn't i

and is represented as having an elephant's head with only the right tusk? Consequently any of these

, too," said Frank, "and he seemed inclined to believe it himself. I lik

oung wife's eyes as she repea

, it suits him." The

do. He's a man's man. The hill and jungle people wors

l man with handsome, clear-cut features, dark complexion and eyes, and close-cropped black hair touched at the temples with grey, e

e you to Ranga

once by the Political Officer's appearance and friendly manner. "It was very kind

ive years of married life they were lovers still. Frank looked at them a little enviously. He wondered would it be so with Vio

hooting, Wargrave?

"I told him that I was sure you'd be glad to

you care to come with me,

good of you," replied the subaltern eag

ou a .470 high velocity cordite weapon. You want something

the flight of time until his hostess reminded him that he had to report his arrival to his commanding officer a

hands with Mrs.

u might prefer to spend your first night with your brother office

e Political Officer spoke of the great forest below

it dull to a person who has no resources. Still, it has its advantages, and chief amo

after the heat in the Plains below. I don't kn

of rain during them. One never sees a strange face then-not that we ever do have many visitors her

h a flight of steps led from the ground two men were reclining in long chairs reading old newspapers. On seeing Dermot and his companion they rose, and the Colonel introduced Frank. They sh

t's only to have someone living in the Mess wid me. The Major there lives in solitary state in his little

prowling round the Mess again

him sniffing at me door last night. I w

im. I've tried

eal av me. Keep your door shut at night, Wargrave. Merrick, who lived in

lighted at the thought of having come to

ries off the sepoys' dogs, and has actually entered rooms here in the Mess. He has killed several Bhuttia children on

ed, and, reminding them all of his wife's in

as they watched Dermot's figure receding down the road.

, grey-haired man with a quiet and reserved manner. "The Bhuttias are more afraid of a cross look fro

face of his race appeared and was ord

stand the loneliness," continued t

sir, a

the jungle and shoot for the Mess. We want a change from tinned Army rat

a buck in the jungle; and for that we generally have to rely on Dermot. But he is away such a lot, wandering along the frontier, keeping an ey

was de

to the jungle if y

r a youngster unless he's keen on sport. I'm not, myself; and Burke's as blind as a bat. But

ardly decided that his new commanding office

Show Wargrave his quarters," said t

g the officers' anteroom and dining-room. Frank found that his "boy," with the ready deftness of Indian servants, had unpacked his trunks, hung up his clothes and stowed his

way, but, being unmarried, took his meals in the Mess. The Indian offic

apartments were poorly furnished, but the walls were adorned with the skulls and skins of many beasts of the jun

dah; and while the officers sat at their meal the pleasant mountain breeze played about them. Frank thought with gratitude of his escape from the burning

ned provisions, fresh meat being unprocurable in Ranga Duar-except fow

red about in the great forest below, the nearest thirty miles off. The few visitors that Ranga Duar saw in the year were the General on his annual

hrough the Himalayas against raiders from Bhutan, that little-known independent State lying between Tibe

burst of gaiety, Wargrave," said the Co

s that, sir?" as

ghing. "But it isn't. The Deb Zimpun is a gintleman av

demanded the be

Hunt s

f the land, the Tongsa Penlop or Chief of Tongsa, whom we regard as the Maharajah of Bhutan. He has placed himself, as far only as the foreign relations of the country go, under the suzerainty of the Government of India; and

e av Rome in his thriple crown, for he wears a high gold-edged cap and a flow

we have another spread in the Mess. That reminds me. I suppose Dermot will be going into the jungle soon to shoot for the pot

hted subaltern. "The Colonel promised to

understanding of her. Surely it would be only right to take her from such a man, right to give her a fresh chance of finding the happiness that she had missed; for the warm-hearted, intelligent and artistic-natured woman would be far happier with him in this beautiful spot, remote from the world though it was. And his new comrades would appeal to her, Dermot, strong, capable, one who would always stand out from his fellows; Hunt grave, k

pull a blanket over him. Only those who have endured the torment of hot nights in the tropics can appreciate his thankfulness as in th