Next morning we started beating due east, setting fire to the jungle as we went along.  The roaring and crackling of the flames startled the elephant on which Captain S. was riding, and going away across country at a furious pace, it was with difficulty that it could be stopped.  We crossed the frontier line a short distance from camp, and entered a dense jungle of thorny acacia, with long dry grass almost choking the trees.  They were dry and stunted, and when we dropped a few lights amongst such combustible material, the fire was splendid beyond description.  How the flames surged through the withered grass.  We were forced to pause and admire the magnificent sight.  The wall of flame tore along with inconceivable rapidity, and the blinding volumes of smoke obscured the country for miles.  The jungle was full of deer and pig.  One fine buck came bounding along past our line, but I stopped him with a single bullet through the neck.  He fell over with a tremendous crash, and turning a complete somersault broke off both his horns with the force of the fall.

We beat down a shallow sandy watercourse, and could see the camp of the old Major on the high bank beyond.  Farther down the stream there was a small square fort, the whitewashed walls of which flashed back the rays of the sun, and grouped round it were some ruinous looking huts, several snowy tents, and a huge shamiana or canopy, under which we could see a host of attendants spreading carpets, placing chairs, and otherwise making ready for us.  The banks of the stream were very steep, but the guide at length brought us to what seemed a safe and fordable passage.  On the further side was a flat expanse of seemingly firm and dry sand, but no sooner had our elephants begun to cross it, than the whole sandbank for yards began to rock and tremble; the water welled up over the footmarks of the elephants, and S. called out to us, Fussun, Fussun! quicksand, quicksand!  We scattered the elephants, and tried to hurry them over the dangerous bit of ground with shouts and cries of encouragement.

The poor animals seemed thoroughly to appreciate the danger, and shuffled forward as quickly as they could.  All got over in safety except the last three.  The treacherous sand, rendered still more insecure by the heavy tread of so many ponderous animals, now gave way entirely, and the three hapless elephants were left floundering in the tenacious hold of the dreaded fussun.  Two of the three were not far from the firm bank, and managed to extricate themselves after a short struggle; but the third had sunk up to the shoulders, and could scarcely move.  All hands immediately began cutting long grass and forming it into bundles.  These were thrown to the sinking elephant.  He rolled from side to side, the sand quaking and undulating round him in all directions.  At times he would roll over till nearly half his body was invisible.  Some of the Nepaulese ventured near, and managed to undo the harness-ropes that were holding on the pad.  The sagacious brute fully understood his danger, and the efforts we were making for his assistance.  He managed to get several of the big bundles of grass under his feet, and stood there looking at us with a most pathetic pleading expression, and trembling, as if with an ague, from fear and exhaustion.