The noise of the rifle did not appear to scare them from the forest; they would simply retreat for a time to some other portion of it, and fresh herds were met with in following up one which had been disturbed.

Still, there were no elephants.

Although I had upwards of fifty coolies and servants, they could not dry the venison sufficiently fast to prevent the deer from stinking as they were killed, and I resolved to leave the country.
I gave orders for everything to be packed up in readiness for a start, after an early breakfast, on the following morning.

The servants were engaged in arranging for the departure, when a native brought intelligence of a rogue elephant within four miles of the tent.

It was late in the afternoon, but I had not seen an elephant for so long that I was determined to make his acquaintance.