Dermot drank until his thirst was quenched, then sat down with his back against a tree and lit his pipe.  He smoked contentedly and watched Badshah grazing.  The elephant plucked the long grass with a scythe-like sweep of his trunk, tore down succulent creepers and broke off small branches from the trees, chewing the wood and leaves with equal enjoyment.  From time to time he looked towards his master, but, receiving no signal to prepare to move on, continued his meal.

At last the Major knocked out the ashes of his pipe, grinding them into the earth with his heel lest a chance spark might start a forest fire, and whistled to Badshah.  The elephant came at once to him.  From his haversack Dermot took out a couple of bananas and held them up.  The snake-like trunk shot out and grasped them, then curving back placed them in the huge mouth.  Dermot stood up and, slinging his rifle over his shoulder, seized Badshah’s ears and was lifted again to his place astride the neck.

Once more the jungle closed about them, as the elephant moved off.  The rider, unslinging his rifle and laying it across his thighs, glanced from side to side as they proceeded.  The forest grew more open.  The undergrowth thinned; and occasionally they came to open glades carpeted with tall bracken and looking almost like an English wood.  But the great boughs of the giant trees were matted thick with the glossy green leaves of orchid plants, from which drooped long trails of delicate mauve and white flowers.

Just as they were emerging from dense undergrowth on to such a glade, Dermot’s eye was caught by something moving ahead of them.  He checked Badshah; and they remained concealed in in the thick vegetation.  Then through the trees came a trim little kakur buck, stepping daintily in advance of his doe which followed a few yards behind.  As they moved their long ears twitched incessantly, pointing now in this, now in that, direction for any sound that might warn them of danger.  But they did not detect the hidden peril.  Dermot noiselessly raised his rifle, aimed hurriedly at the leader’s shoulder and fired.  The loud report sounded like thunder through the silent forest.  The stricken buck sprang convulsively into the air, then fell in a heap; while his startled mate leaped over his body and disappeared in bounding flight.

At the touch of his rider’s foot the elephant moved forward into the open; and without waiting for him to sink down Dermot slid to the ground.  Old hunter that he was, the Major could never repress a feeling of pity when he looked on any harmless animal that he had shot; and he had long ago given up killing such except for food.  He propped his rifle against a tree and, taking off his coat and rolling up his sleeves, drew his kukri and proceeded to disembowel and clean the kakur.  While he was thus employed Badshah strayed away into the jungle to graze, for elephants feed incessantly.