The trail became fresher and, to my dismay, led downward again and into that hopeless mass of underbrush which at this point extended some distance into the lower levels of the forest.

We could not see in any direction more than twenty-five feet--except above.

If our lives had depended on it we could not have penetrated the dense matted barriers of vegetation on each side of the narrow trail.

The bare thought of meeting an elephant in such a place sent a cold chill down the back.

If he happened to be coming toward us our only hope was in killing him before he could charge twenty-five feet, and, if we did kill him, to avoid being crushed by his body as it plunged forward.