And they were really lovers, those two.

Any one might have seen it, and but for the wondrous fascination Isaacs exercised over every one who came near him, and the circumstances of his spotless name and reputation for integrity in the large transactions in which he was frequently known to be engaged, it is certain that Mr.Ghyrkins would have looked askance at the whole affair, and very likely would have broken up the party.
In the course of time we became a little _blase_ about tigers, till on the eighth day from the beginning of the hunt, which was a Thursday, I remember, an incident occurred which left a lasting impression on the mind of every one who witnessed it.

It was a very hot morning, the hottest day we had had, and we had just crossed a _nullah_ in the forest, full from the recent rains, wherein the elephants lingered lovingly to splash the water over their heated sides, drowning the swarms of mosquitoes from which they suffer such torments, in spite of their thick skins.

The collector called a halt on the opposite side; our line of march had become somewhat disordered by the passage, and numerous tracks in the pasty black mud showed that the _nullah_ was a favourite resort of tigers--though at this time of day they might be a long distance off.

I had come next to the collector after we emerged from the stream, the pad elephants having lingered longer in the water, and Mr.Ghyrkins with Miss Westonhaugh was three or four places beyond me.