The Jungle Girl

le blue sky, while below it the foot-hills fell in steps to the broad sea of foliage of the great forest stretching away to the distant plains seen vaguely through the haze. T

ful plumes of the bamboo and shaded by giant mango

which had raged along the frontiers of India five years before, the post had been fiercely attacked by an army of Chinese and Bhutanes

icers; and Frank soon found that Major Hunt, who seemed driven by a demon of quiet energy, preferred to do most of it himself. Frank got the impression that to the elder man occupation was an anodyne for some secret sor

ouse on his second evening in Ranga Duar. The Colonel proposed to take him o

army of coolies necessary to carry a hundred thousand silver rupees in boxes over the Himalay

ess, Wargrave," said Burke. "We want something we can

khakur?" a

ldn't know it if you haven't shot in forests. It gets its En

e, get up the nearest tree; for the khakur is warning all who

atements on sport, for the doctor was an inveterate joke

udly express his annoyance when a khakur barked as he was trying to sneak by unnoticed. There's a

for the Durbar, Mrs. De

ub-divisional Officer,

itating manner so unlike his usual cheery and assured self that

pe so," replie

from her?" persisted

that they were in the Buxa Reserve but hoped to get here in time. I'm lo

o hang on Mrs. Dermot's words; and he began to wo

lonely life and rough it constantly in the jungle as she does," re

ss. "She loves jungle life. And she thinks

av he hadn't her to hould it on for him. She does most av his work. It's a sight to see t

l, in whom it appeared to him Burke was very

y for the butcher's man, Noreen

me jungle fowl? And if you can manage it a brace of

id the Colonel, turning to Frank, who was sitting beside him. Then the conversation between

y with golden curls and big blue bows and ordered to play with her. Her brother and Badshah had to join in the gam

hment were seated at dinner on the Mess verandah, Major Hunt with his back to the rough stone wall of the building. A s

the shadows for a moment, then, suddenly grasping the astonished major by the collar, jerked him out of his chair. And as he did so a snake, a deadly hill-viper, which had been trying to climb up the ro

al, looked up at the wall to see if any more reptil

th. Ranga's full of snakes, like all these places in the hills. We've killed several in the Mess since

king it Frank had made a staunch fr

at the Gurkha mess-servant brough

without looking under the pillow nor put on my boots in the morning without first turning them up and shaking them. I

, Wargrave," said Major Hunt. "Look out for it when you're in the

n feet long in a Bombay museu

like all other big snakes, and they say it moves so fast that it can overtake a man on a pony. B

d turned on the Colonel when he interfered. It got

exclaimed Wargrave laughing, "or

up from the verandah and lit a hurricane lantern and walked down the Mess steps with it on his way home to his bungalo

ard against sunstroke, went down to the Dermots' bungalow. In the garden the Colonel, also prepared for their shooting expedition, stood talking to his wife, while their children were trying to climb up B

olonel, as the subaltern greeted him

d demanded to be lifted up and kissed. Whe

brought a r

e gun with you and load one barrel with shot; but put a bullet in the other, for you never know what we may meet. Badshah will go down by the road, as well as one of the s

he way down the road, followed by Frank and the

tern turned at the gate to take off his hat in a farewell salute

first between high, closely-matted bushes, and then through scrub-jungle dotted with small trees, among the foliage of which gleamed the yellow fruit of the limes and the plantain's glossy drooping leaves and long curving stalks from which the n

a rustle and a pattering over the dry l

d throwing it into the cover. A large speckled black a

ccess. "We're lucky," he continued. "As a rule they won't break, but scu

es became more numerous and larger as they descended nearer the forest. Out of another clump of bushes the sportsmen succeeded in getting a second brace of pheasants. Low

r briefly and pointed to a patch of dust in

t that against these great animals the

ngerous, sir

s vicious and develops into a dangerous rogue. It probably happens that, finding crops growing near a jungle village and raiding them, he is driven off by the cultivators

ort elephants of the detachment. In the clearing before it Badshah and

olonel Dermot, beckoning to his elephan

up doubtfully at the

Isn't he going to

he crooks it and grab hold of h

k did as he was directed and found himself raised in the air until he was able to get on to the elepha

on!)" he e

had climbed, and plunged into the dense undergrowth which was so high that it nearly closed over the riders' heads. The sudden change from the bl

good height above the ground, rising to the green canopy overhead and thrusting their leafy crowns through it, seeking their share of the sunlight. Their massive branches were matted thick with the glossy green leaves of orchid-plants and draped with long trails of the beautiful mauve and white blossoms of the exotic flowers. Hanging from the highest branches or swinging between the massive boles creepers of every kind rioted in bewildering confusion, a chaos of natural cordage, of festooned lianas thick

rifle went half-way to his shoulder, only to be lowered again when he saw two sambhur hinds, graceful animals with glossy chestnut hides, watching the advancing elephants curiously but without fear. For, used to seeing wild o

ranches from the trees, they crammed them all impartially into their mouths. Picking up twigs in their trunks they used them to beat their s

nel stopped Badsh

ve. There, to your left in the

Colonel Dermot's rifle spoke; and the big deer crumpled up and fell crashing through the vegetation to the ground. The second elephant's mahout, a grey-bearded Mahommedan, slipped instantly to the earth and, drawing his kukri, struggled through the arresting creepers and undergrowth to where the stag lay feebly moving its limbs. Seizing one horn he performed the hallal, that is, he cut its throat to let blood while there was still life in the animal, muttering the short Mussulman creed

hen with the skill of professional butchers proceeded to cut up the carcase into huge joints. While they were thus engaged the Colonel went to a small, straight-stemmed tree common in the jungle and, clearing awa

oking at his hands covered with

an, sir? Is there any water in

m, pointed to a thick creeper with with

Wargrave. Lots of i

ish, pulpy interior. From the two ends of the piece wate

at's a plant worth

anion, using clay as soap, could wash his hands. "It's called the pani bel-water-cree

d flowed into the subaltern's mouth.

med Wargrave, examining the plant car

at animals like the sea cleft by the bows of a ship and closed similarly behind them when they had passed. Of its own volition the leader swerved one side or the other when it was necessary to avoid a tree-trunk or too

to it. "It wouldn't do to risk hitting against

rrested Badshah at the edge of a

re's a barking

ointed incessantly this way and that for every warning sound as they moved; but neither saw the elephants hidden in the undergrowth. Raising his rifle Fr

Dermot, when Badshah had advanced to the prostrate

t the pretty little deer stre

laughter a harmless th

cer. "Unless of course it's a dangerous beast like a tiger. Well, the khakur is too dead to hal

t troubling to cut it up, bound its legs together with udal fibre an

rest was broken by the loud crowing of a coc

ked Wargrave, surprised at the familiar

" whispered the Political O

ittle bantam cock with red comb and wattles and curving green tail-feathers, followed by four or five sober brown hens, so like in every respect to domestic fowl that Wargrave hesitated to shoot. But suddenly the birds whirred up into the air; and, as the

, gladly agreed to. Dismounting, they sat on the ground and ate and drank the contents of the pockets of Badshah's pad, but with loaded rifles beside them lest their meal should be disturbed by any dangerous denizen of the jungle. The two natives sat down some

on getting another couple of sambhur stags to present to the Deb Zimpun as food for his hungry followers. The route that they were now taking led circuitously back towards the peelkhana, which they wished to reach before sundown. Th

r?" asked Wargr

is forbidden unless they attack you. But the track leads north towards the mountains and at their foot the Government Forest ends. That's

rought his riders to the hills and into sight of the sky once more. The mountains stood out clear and distinct in the slanting rays of

'pugs' we're following up are those of a solitary bull. We're in free forest now; so with luck you

used by the steep slope up which he followed Dermot. The Colonel tracked the bull

koned to Wargrave, and, when the latter reached him, pointed down into the gully below. They were almost on the edge of a descent precipitous enough to be called a cliff. Immediately underneath by a small stream was a massive black bull-bison, eighteen hands-six

the stiff, dry grass at the edge of the cliff. But for the one necessary instant he became rigidly steady and without a tremor pressed the trigger. Then th

t and sliding, scrambling, jumping down the steep descent. The excited subal

r first day in the jungle. Those horns are six feet from tip

heartily as he

you to let me have first shot; and you gave me such a s

overjoyed subaltern walked round and round the dead bison, m

t sent the mahout on his elephant to the stable to fetch other men to cut up and b

acted the attention of all three elders, and on the broad wooden staircase they saw two small figures, one in pyjamas, the other in a pretty, trailing nightdress daintily tied with blue bows, looking imploringly down at their mother. She smiled and nodded. There was a whirlwind rush down the stairs, and the mites were caught up in their father's arms. Then Frank ca

r. It breathed passion and longing, discontent and despair, in every line. As he laid his face on his arm to shut out the light where he sat at the table he felt that he was nearer to loving the absent woman than he had ever been. For the vision of the Dermots' married