CHAPTER VII
IN THE TERAI JUNGLE
In the pleasant light of the morning the little outpost looked ascharming to Wargrave as it had done on the previous evening. Above RangaDuar the mountains towered to the pale blue sky, while below it thefoot-hills fell in steps to the broad sea of foliage of the great foreststretching away to the distant plains seen vaguely through the haze. Thehorse-shoe hollow in which the tiny station was set was bowered invegetation. The gardens glowed with the varied hues of flowers, and werebounded by hedges of wild roses. The road and paths were bordered by thetall, graceful plumes of the bamboo and shaded by giant mango and banyantrees, their boughs clothed with orchids.
Frank had noticed the previous day that the Fort, barracks and bungalowswere all newly built, and he learned that during the great war which hadraged along the frontiers of India five years before, the post had beenfiercely attacked by an army of Chinese and Bhutanese and the littlestation practically wiped out of existence, although victory had finallyrested with the few survivors of the garrison.
From the first the subaltern took a great liking to the tall PunjaubiMahommedan and hook-nosed, fair-skinned Pathan native officers andsepoys of the detachment. The work was light and scarcely required twoBritish officers; and Frank soon found that Major Hunt, who seemeddriven by a demon of quiet energy, preferred to do most of it himself.Frank got the impression that to the elder man occupation was an anodynefor some secret sorrow. Although the subaltern had no wish to shirk hisduty he could not but be glad that his superior officer seemed alwaysready to dispense with his aid, for thus he would find it easier to getpermission to go shooting.
His first excursion into the jungle was arranged at dinner at theDermots' house on his second evening in Ranga Duar. The Colonel proposedto take him out on the following Monday, for on the next day the _DebZimpun_ would arrive.
"He always brings a big train of Bhuttias with him, eighty swordsmen asan escort to the small army of coolies necessary to carry a hundredthousand silver rupees in boxes over the Himalayan passes. I like togive them the flesh of a few _sambhur_ stags as a treat," said theColonel.
"Hiven hilp ye av ye bring any _sambhur_ flesh to the Mess, Wargrave,"said Burke. "We want something we can get our teeth into. No, we expecta _khakur_ from you."
"What's a _khakur_?" asked Frank.
"It's the _muntjac_ or barking deer," replied Dermot. "You wouldn't knowit if you haven't shot in forests. It gets its English name from itscall, which is not unlike a dog's bark."
"Whin ye hear one saying '_Wonk! Wonk!_' in the jungle, Wargrave, get upthe nearest tree; for the _khakur_ is warning all whom it may concernthat there's a tiger in the immajit vicinity."
Frank had already learned to distrust most of Burke's statements onsport, for the doctor was an inveterate joker. So he looked to thePolitical Officer for confirmation.
"Yes, it's supposed to be the case," agreed the Colonel. "And I've morethan once heard a tiger loudly express his annoyance when a _khakur_barked as he was trying to sneak by unnoticed. There's a barking-deer."He pointed to the well-mounted head of a small deer on the wall of thedining-room.
"Whom do you expect up for the Durbar, Mrs. Dermot?" asked Major Hunt.
"Only Mr. Carter, the Sub-divisional Officer, and probably Mr. Benson."
"Eh--is--isn't Miss Benson coming too?" asked the doctor in a hesitatingmanner so unlike his usual cheery and assured self that Frank looked athim. It seemed to him that Burke was blushing.
"Oh, yes, I hope so," replied Mrs. Dermot.
"Er--haven't you heard from her?" persisted the doctor anxiously.
"I had a letter this afternoon brought by a coolie. Muriel wrote to saythat they were in the Buxa Reserve but hoped to get here in time. I'mlooking forward to her coming immensely. It's four months since I sawher."
Frank could not help noticing that Burke seemed to hang on Mrs. Dermot'swords; and he began to wonder if the unknown lady held the doctor'sheart.
"It's rather hard on a girl like Miss Benson to have to lead such alonely life and rough it constantly in the jungle as she does," remarkedMajor Hunt. "At her age she must want gaiety and amusement."
"Muriel doesn't mind it," replied the hostess. "She loves jungle life.And she thinks that her father couldn't get on without her."
"Sure, she's right there, Mrs. Dermot," cried Burke. "The dear ouldboy'ud lose his head av he hadn't her to hould it on for him. She doesmost av his work. It's a sight to see that slip av a girl bossing allthe forest guards and _habus_ and giving them their ordhers."
Wargrave was anxious to hear more of this girl, in whom it appeared tohim Burke was very much interested; but Colonel Dermot broke in:
"Talking of orders, have you any for the butcher's man, Noreen?" heasked, smiling at his wife.
"Yes, dear; will you please bring me a _khakur_ and some jungle fowl?And if you can manage it a brace of _Kalej_ pheasants," said the goodhousewife seriously.
"Well, Wargrave, we've both got our orders and know what to bring backfrom the jungle," said the Colonel, turning to Frank, who was sittingbeside him. Then the conversation between them drifted into sportingchannels until all adjourned outside for coffee on the verandah.
Next afternoon the subaltern, passing down the road, was hailed from theDermots' garden by an imperious small lady with golden curls and bigblue bows and ordered to play with her. Her brother and Badshah had tojoin in the game, too. Frank, chasing the dainty mite round and roundthe elephant, began to think himself in the Garden of Eden.
But that same evening he found that his Himalayan Paradise was notwithout its serpent. The three officers of the detachment were seated atdinner on the Mess verandah, Major Hunt with his back to the rough stonewall of the building. A swinging oil lamp with a metal shade threw thelight downward and left the ceiling and upper part of the wall inshadow.
When dinner was ended the Commandant, lighting a cheerot, tilted hischair on its back legs until his head nearly touched the wall. Frank,talking to him, chanced to look up at the roof. He stared into theshadows for a moment, then, suddenly grasping the astonished major bythe collar, jerked him out of his chair. And as he did so a snake, adeadly hill-viper, which had been trying to climb up the rough face ofthe wall, slipped and dropped on to the Commandant's chair, slid to thefloor and glided across the verandah and down into the garden beforeanyone could find a stick with which to attack it.
Major Hunt, his sallow face a little paler than usual, looked up at thewall to see if any more reptiles were likely to follow, then sat downagain calmly.
"Thank you, Wargrave," he said quietly. "But for you that brute wouldhave got me. And his bite is death. Ranga's full of snakes, like allthese places in the hills. We've killed several in the Mess since I'vebeen here; but no one's had such a close shave as this. I'll stand you adrink for that. Hi, boy!"
But for all this quiet manner of taking it Frank had made a staunchfriend that night by his prompt action.
As Burke took the filled glass that the Gurkha mess-servant brought himat the Major's order he said:
"I hate snakes worse than the Divil hates holy wather. They're the onlythings in life I'm afraid av. I never go to bed without looking underthe pillow nor put on my boots in the morning without first turning themup and shaking them. I wish St. Pathrick had made a trip to India anddhriven the sarpints out av the counthry the same as he did inIreland."
"We've the worst snake in the world, I believe, here in the Terai,Wargrave," said Major Hunt. "Look out for it when you're in the jungle.It's the hamadryad or king-cobra. Have you heard of it?"
"I saw the skin of one sixteen feet long in a Bombay museum, sir,"replied the subaltern.
"It's the only snake in Asia that will attack human beings unprovoked;it's deadly poisonous, unlike all other big snakes, and they say itmoves so fast that it can overtake a man on a pony. Benson, the ForestOfficer of the district, tells me there are many of them in the jungleshere."
"One av the divils ch
ased Dermot's elephant once and turned on theColonel when he interfered. It got its head blown off for its pains,"put in the doctor.
"Don't tell me any more, Burke," exclaimed Wargrave laughing, "or Iwon't be able to sleep to-night."
He pushed back his chair as the Commandant rose from the table and,saying goodnight to the two junior officers, picked up from the verandahand lit a hurricane lantern and walked down the Mess steps with it onhis way home to his bungalow. Europeans in India do not care to moveabout at night without a lamp lest in the darkness they might tread on asnake.
Early on the following Monday morning Wargrave, dressed in khakiknickerbockers, shirt and puttees, and wearing besides his pith helmeta "spine protector"--a quilted cloth pad buttoned to the back--as aguard against sunstroke, went down to the Dermots' bungalow. In thegarden the Colonel, also prepared for their shooting expedition, stoodtalking to his wife, while their children were trying to climb upBadshah's legs. The elephant was equipped with a light pad provided withlarge pockets into which were thrust Thermos flasks, packets ofsandwiches and of cartridges. Close by two servants were holding guns.
"Good morning, Wargrave," said the Colonel, as the subaltern greeted himand his wife. "You're in good time."
Eileen, deserting Badshah, ran to Frank and demanded to be lifted up andkissed. When he had obeyed the small tyrant, he said:
"I haven't brought a rifle, sir."
"That's right. I have one and a ball-and-shot gun for you. We'll walkdown to the _peelkhana_ by a short cut through the hills to look for_kalej_ pheasant on the way. Take the gun with you and load one barrelwith shot; but put a bullet in the other, for you never know what we maymeet. Badshah will go down by the road, as well as one of the servantsto bring the rifles and tell the _mahouts_ to get a detachment elephantready. It will follow us in the jungle to carry any animals we kill,while we'll ride Badshah."
Kissing his wife and children the Colonel led the way down the road,followed by Frank and the servant, Badshah walking unattended behindthem.
"Good sport, Mr. Wargrave!" called out Mrs. Dermot, as the subalternturned at the gate to take off his hat in a farewell salute; and thelittle coquette beside her kissed her tiny hand to him.
After they had gone half a mile the two officers, carrying theirfowling-pieces, turned off along a footpath through the undergrowth,leaving the servant and the elephant to continue down the road. Thetrack led steeply down the mountain-side, at first between high,closely-matted bushes, and then through scrub-jungle dotted with smalltrees, among the foliage of which gleamed the yellow fruit of the limesand the plantain's glossy drooping leaves and long curving stalks fromwhich the nimble fingers of wild monkeys had plucked the ripe bananas.Here and there the ground was open; and the path following a naturaldepression in the hills gave down the gradually widening valley a viewof the panorama of forest and plain lying below.
As they passed a clump of tangled bushes a rustle and a pattering overthe dry leaves under them caught the Colonel's ear.
"Look out! _Kalej_," he whispered, picking up a stone and throwing itinto the cover. A large speckled black and white bird whirred out; andWargrave brought it down.
"Good shot! There's another," called out Dermot, and fired with equalsuccess. "We're lucky," he continued. "As a rule they won't break, butscuttle along under the bushes, so that one often has to shoot themrunning."
Frank picked up the birds and examined them with interest before theColonel stuffed them into his game bag and moved on down the path, whichwas growing steeper. The trees became more numerous and larger as theydescended nearer the forest. Out of another clump of bushes thesportsmen succeeded in getting a second brace of pheasants. Lower downthey passed through a belt of bamboos, where in one spot the longfeathery boughs were broken off or twisted in wild confusion for a spaceof fifty yards' radius.
"Wild elephants," said the Political Officer briefly and pointed to apatch of dust in which was the round imprint of a huge foot.
Frank was a little startled; for he felt that against these greatanimals the bullets in their guns would be useless.
"Are they dangerous, sir?" he asked.
"Not as a rule when they are in a herd, although cow-elephants withcalves may be so, fearing peril for their young. But sometimes a bulltakes to a solitary life, becomes vicious and develops into a dangerousrogue. It probably happens that, finding crops growing near a junglevillage and raiding them, he is driven off by the cultivators, turnssavage and kills some of them. Then he usually seems to take a hatred toall human beings and attacks them on sight. Hallo! here we are at the_peelkhana_ at last."
They had reached the high wooden building which housed the threetransport elephants of the detachment. In the clearing before it Badshahand another animal were standing, a group of _mahouts_ and coolies nearthem.
"We'll mount and start at once," said Colonel Dermot, beckoning to hiselephant, which came to him. "Get up, Wargrave."
The subaltern looked up doubtfully at the pad on Badshah's back.
"How can I, sir? Isn't he going to kneel?" he asked.
"Put your foot on his trunk when he crooks it and grab hold of his ears.He'll lift you up then."
The understanding elephant at once curled its trunk invitingly andcocked its great ears forward. Frank did as he was directed and foundhimself raised in the air until he was able to get on to the elephant'shead and from it scrambled on to the pad. Dermot followed and seatedhimself astride the huge neck.
"_Mul_! (Go on!)" he ejaculated.
With a swaying, lurching stride Badshah at once moved across theclearing, followed by the transport elephant, on to which a _mahout_ anda coolie had climbed, and plunged into the dense undergrowth which wasso high that it nearly closed over the riders' heads. The sudden changefrom the blinding glare of the sun to the enchanting green gloom of theforest, from the intense heat to the refreshing coolness of the shade,was delightful.
Beyond the clearing the vegetation was tangled and rank, high grassconcealing thorny shrubs, tall matted bushes covered with large, white,bell-shaped flowers, all so dense that men on foot could not push theirway through. But it divided like water before the leading elephant'sweight and strength. The trees were now not the lesser growths ofbamboo, lime and sago-palm that covered the foot-hills. They were thegreat forest giants, enormous teak, _sal_ and _simal_ trees, towering upbare of branches for a good height above the ground, rising to the greencanopy overhead and thrusting their leafy crowns through it, seekingtheir share of the sunlight. Their massive branches were matted thickwith the glossy green leaves of orchid-plants and draped with longtrails of the beautiful mauve and white blossoms of the exotic flowers.Hanging from the highest branches or swinging between the massive bolescreepers of every kind rioted in bewildering confusion, a chaos ofnatural cordage, of festooned _lianas_ thick as a liner's hawser, sometwisting around each other, others coiling about the tree-trunks, bitingdeep into the bark or striving to strangle them in a cruel grip. Noteven the elephants' weight and strength could burst through the stoutnetwork of these creepers in places. While they tore at the obstructionswith their trunks it was necessary for their drivers to hack through thecreepers with their sharp _kukris_--the heavy curved knives carried intheir belts and similar to the Gurkha's favourite weapon.
Here and there the party came upon glades free from undergrowth, wherein the cool shade of the great trees the ground was knee-deep inbracken. In one such spot Wargrave's eye was caught by a flash of brightcolour, and his rifle went half-way to his shoulder, only to be loweredagain when he saw two _sambhur_ hinds, graceful animals with glossychestnut hides, watching the advancing elephants curiously but withoutfear. For, used to seeing wild ones, they did not realise that Badshahand his companion carried human beings. Their sex saved them from thehunters who, leaving them unscathed, passed on and plunged into thedense undergrowth on the far side of the clearing.
The elephants fed continually as they moved along. Sweeping up greatbunches of grass, tearing down
trails of leafy creepers, breaking offbranches from the trees, they crammed them all impartially into theirmouths. Picking up twigs in their trunks they used them to beat theirsides and legs to drive off stinging insects or, snuffing up dust fromthe ground, blew clouds of it along their bellies for the same purpose.
Suddenly the Colonel stopped Badshah and whispered:
"There's a _sambhur_ stag, Wargrave. There, to your left in theundergrowth. Have a shot at him."
The subaltern looked everywhere eagerly, but in the dense tangle couldnot discern the animal. Like all novices in the jungle he directed hisgaze too far away; and suddenly a dark patch of deep shadow in theundergrowth close by materialised itself into the black hide of a stagonly as it dashed off. It had been standing within fifteen paces of theelephants, knowing the value of immobility as a shield. At last itsnerve failed it; and it revealed itself by breaking away. But as it fledColonel Dermot's rifle spoke; and the big deer crumpled up and fellcrashing through the vegetation to the ground. The second elephant's_mahout_, a grey-bearded Mahommedan, slipped instantly to the earth and,drawing his _kukri_, struggled through the arresting creepers andundergrowth to where the stag lay feebly moving its limbs. Seizing onehorn he performed the _hallal_, that is, he cut its throat to let bloodwhile there was still life in the animal, muttering the short Mussulmancreed as he did so. For his religion enjoins this hygienicpractice--borrowed by the Prophet from the Mosaic law--to guard againstlong-dead carrion being eaten. At the touch of the Colonel's handBadshah sank to its knees; and Wargrave, very annoyed with himself forhis slowness in detecting the deer, forced his way through theundergrowth to examine it. The stag was a fine beast fourteen handshigh, with sharp brow antlers and a pair of thick, stunted hornsbranching at the ends into two points.
Leaving the elephants to graze freely the _mahout_ and his cooliedisembowelled the _sambhur_ and hacked off the head with their heavy_kukris_. Aided by the Political Officer and Wargrave they skinned theanimal and then with the skill of professional butchers proceeded to cutup the carcase into huge joints. While they were thus engaged theColonel went to a small, straight-stemmed tree common in the jungle and,clearing away a patch of the outer mottled bark, disclosed a white innerskin, which he cut off in long strips. With these, which formedunbreakable cordage, they fastened the heavy joints to the pad of thetransport elephant.
When this was done Wargrave, looking at his hands covered with blood andgrime, said ruefully:
"How on earth are we to get clean, sir? Is there any water in thejungle? We haven't seen any."
The Political Officer, looking about him, pointed to a thick creeperwith withered-seeming bark and said with a laugh:
"There's your water, Wargrave. Lots of it on tap. See here."
He cut off a length of the _liana_, which contained a whitish, pulpyinterior. From the two ends of the piece water began to drip steadilyand increased to a thin stream.
"By George, sir, that's a plant worth knowing," said Frank.
"It's a most useful jungle product," said the Colonel, holding it up sothat his companion, using clay as soap, could wash his hands. "It'scalled the _pani bel_--water-creeper. One need never die of thirst in aforest where it is found. Try the water in it."
He raised it so that the clear liquid flowed into the subaltern's mouth.It was cool, palatable and tasteless.
"By George, sir, that's good," exclaimed Wargrave, examining the plantcarefully. "Now let me hold it for you."
After Dermot and the two natives had cleansed their hands and arms theparty moved on, the transport elephant looking like an itinerantbutcher's shop as it followed Badshah. Again the undergrowth partedbefore the great animals like the sea cleft by the bows of a ship andclosed similarly behind them when they had passed. Of its own volitionthe leader swerved one side or the other when it was necessary to avoida tree-trunk or too dense a tangle of obstructing creepers. But onceDermont touched and turned it sharply out of its course to escape whatseemed a very large lump of clay adhering to the under side of anoverhanging bough in their path.
"A wild bees' nest," said the Colonel, pointing to it. "It wouldn't doto risk hitting against that and being stung to death by its occupants."
A few minutes later he suddenly arrested Badshah at the edge of afern-carpeted glade and whispered:
"Look out! There's a barking-deer. Get him!"
Across the glade a graceful little buck with a bright chestnut coatstepped daintily, followed at a respectful distance by his doe. Theirrestless ears pointed incessantly this way and that for every warningsound as they moved; but neither saw the elephants hidden in theundergrowth. Raising his rifle Frank took a quick aim at the buck'sshoulder and fired. The deer pitched forward and fell dead, while itsstartled mate swung round and leapt wildly away.
"A good shot of yours, Wargrave," remarked Colonel Dermot, when Badshahhad advanced to the prostrate animal. "Broke its shoulder and piercedthe heart."
Frank looked down pityingly at the pretty little deer stretched lifelessamong the ferns.
"It seems a shame to slaughter a harmless thing like that," he said.
"Yes; I always feel the same myself and never kill except for food,"replied the Political Officer. "Unless of course it's a dangerous beastlike a tiger. Well, the _khakur_ is too dead to _hallal_; but thatdoesn't matter, as we're going to eat it ourselves and not give it tothe sepoys."
The _mahout_ and the coolie were already cleaning the deer and, withouttroubling to cut it up, bound its legs together with _udal_ fibre andtied it to the pad of their elephant; and the party moved on again.
Half a mile further on the silence of the forest was broken by the loudcrowing of a cock, taken up and answered defiantly by others.
"Hallo! are we near a village, sir?" asked Wargrave, surprised at thefamiliar sounds so far in the heart of the wild.
"No; those are jungle-fowl," whispered the Political Officer. "Get yourgun ready."
He halted the elephant and picked up his fowling-piece. Frank hurriedlysubstituted a shot cartridge for the one loaded with ball in his gun. Heheard a pattering on the dry leaves under the trees and into a fairlyopen space before them stalked a pretty little bantam cock with red comband wattles and curving green tail-feathers, followed by four or fivesober brown hens, so like in every respect to domestic fowl thatWargrave hesitated to shoot. But suddenly the birds whirred up into theair; and, as the Colonel gave them both barrels, Frank did the same. Thecock and three of his wives dropped. The _mahout_ urged his elephantforward and made the reluctant animal pick up the crumpled bunches ofblood-stained feathers in its curving trunk and pass them to him.
Colonel Dermont searched the jungle for some distance around but couldnot find the other jungle-cocks that had answered the dead one'schallenge. Looking at his watch he suggested a halt for lunch, whichWargrave, whose back was beginning to ache with fatigue, gladly agreedto. Dismounting, they sat on the ground and ate and drank the contentsof the pockets of Badshah's pad, but with loaded rifles beside them lesttheir meal should be disturbed by any dangerous denizen of the jungle.The two natives sat down some distance away and, turning their backs oneach other, drew out cloths in which their midday repast of _chupatis_,or thick pancakes, with curry and an onion or two was tied up. Theelephants left to themselves grazed close by and did not attempt towander away.
Their meal and a smoke finished the party mounted again and moved on.But luck seemed to have deserted them. Much to the Political Officer'sdisappointment they wandered for miles without adding anything to thebag. He had calculated on getting another couple of _sambhur_ stags topresent to the _Deb Zimpun_ as food for his hungry followers. The routethat they were now taking led circuitously back towards the _peelkhana_,which they wished to reach before sundown. They had got within a mile ofit and were close to the foot of the hills when Badshah stopped suddenlyand smelt the ground. Colonel Dermot leaned over the huge head andstared down intently at something invisible to his young companion.
"What is it, sir?" aske
d Wargrave in a whisper.
"Bison. Badshah's pointing for us. We can't shoot them here, for we'rein Government jungle where the killing of elephants, bison and rhino isforbidden unless they attack you. But the track leads north towards themountains and at their foot the Government Forest ends. That's only halfa mile away and we can bag them there. Load your rifle with solid-nosedbullets. This is the _pug_ (footprint) of a bull, I think."
The two natives had seen the tracks by this and were wildly excited.Badshah without urging moved swiftly through the trees and soon broughthis riders to the hills and into sight of the sky once more. Themountains stood out clear and distinct in the slanting rays of thesetting sun. Suddenly a loud though distant, almost musical bellowsounded, seeming to come from a bamboo jungle about a mile away.
"That's a cow-bison calling," said Dermot in a low voice. "There's aherd somewhere about; but the '_pugs_' we're following up are those of asolitary bull. We're in free forest now; so with luck you may get yourfirst bison. It's very steep here; we'll dismount, leave the elephantsand go on foot."
The subaltern was wildly excited, and his heart thumped at a rate thatwas not caused by the steep slope up which he followed Dermot. TheColonel tracked the bull unhesitatingly, although to Wargrave there wasno mark to be seen on the ground.
They were creeping cautiously through bamboo cover on a hill whenDermot, who was leading, suddenly threw himself on his face, lay stillfor a minute or two, then, motioning to his companion to halt, crawledforward like a snake. A few paces on he stopped and beckoned toWargrave, and, when the latter reached him, pointed down into the gullybelow. They were almost on the edge of a descent precipitous enough tobe called a cliff. Immediately underneath by a small stream was amassive black bull-bison, eighteen hands--six feet--high, with short,square, head, broad ears and horizontal rounded horns. The only touchesof colour were on the forehead and the legs below the knees, which werewhitish. The animal, with head thrown back, was staring vacantly withits large, slatey-blue eyes.
Wargrave trembled with excitement and his heart beat so violently thatthe rifle shook as he brought it to his shoulder and gently pushed themuzzle through the stiff, dry grass at the edge of the cliff. But forthe one necessary instant he became rigidly steady and without a tremorpressed the trigger. Then the rifle barrels danced again before hiseyes, when he saw the great bull collapse on the ground, its fore-legstwitching violently, the hind ones motionless.
"Good shot. You've broken his spine," exclaimed Dermot, springing to hisfeet and sliding, scrambling, jumping down the steep descent. Theexcited subaltern outstripped him; but before he reached the bull itlay motionless, dead.
"You're a lucky young man, Wargrave. A splendid bison on your first dayin the jungle. Those horns are six feet from tip to tip I bet," and thePolitical Officer held out his hand.
Frank shook it heartily as he said gratefully:
"I've only you to thank for it, sir. It was ripping of you to let mehave first shot; and you gave me such a sitter that I couldn't miss.Thank you awfully, Colonel."
Dermot gave a piercing whistle and stood waiting, while the overjoyedsubaltern walked round and round the dead bison, marvelling at its sizeand exclaiming at his own good fortune.
When in a few minutes Badshah appeared, followed by the panting men,Colonel Dermot sent the _mahout_ on his elephant to the stable to fetchother men to cut up and bring in the bison. Then he and Wargrave onBadshah made for the road to Ranga Duar.
It was dark long before they reached the little station. The Colonelbrought his companion in for a drink after the three thousand feetclimb, most of which they had done on foot. Mrs. Dermot met them in thehall; and, after she had heard the result of the day's sport, warmlycongratulated Wargrave on his good luck. Loud whispers and a scuffleover their heads attracted the attention of all three elders, and onthe broad wooden staircase they saw two small figures, one in pyjamas,the other in a pretty, trailing nightdress daintily tied with blue bows,looking imploringly down at their mother. She smiled and nodded. Therewas a whirlwind rush down the stairs, and the mites were caught up intheir father's arms. Then Frank came in for his share of caresses fromthem before they were sternly ordered back to bed again. And as hepassed out into the darkness he carried away with him an enchantingpicture of the charming babes climbing the stairs hand in hand andturning to blow kisses to the tall man who stood below with a strong armaround his pretty wife, gazing fondly up at his children.
And the picture stayed with him when, after dinner at which he wascongratulated by his brother officers, he went to his room and found aletter overlooked in his rush to dress for Mess. It was from Violet, thefirst that had come from her since his arrival in Ranga Duar. Itbreathed passion and longing, discontent and despair, in every line. Ashe laid his face on his arm to shut out the light where he sat at thetable he felt that he was nearer to loving the absent woman than he hadever been. For the vision of the Dermots' married happiness, of the deepaffection linking husband and wife, of the children climbing the stairand smiling back at their parents, came vividly to him. And it hauntedhim in his sleep when in dreams tiny arms were clasped around his neckand baby lips touched his lovingly.
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