"That's right. I have one and a ball-and-shot gun for you. We'll walk down 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 barrel with shot; but put a bullet in the other, for you never know what we may meet. Badshah will go down by the road, as well as one of the servants to bring the rifles and tell the _mahouts_ to get a detachment elephant ready. 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 behind them. "Good sport, Mr. Wargrave!" called out Mrs. Dermot, as the subaltern turned at the gate to take off his hat in a farewell salute; and the little coquette beside her kissed her tiny hand to him. After they had gone half a mile the two officers, carrying their fowling-pieces, turned off along a footpath through the undergrowth, leaving the servant and the elephant to continue down the road. The track led steeply down the mountain-side, at first between high, closely-matted bushes, and then through scrub-jungle dotted with small trees, among the foliage of which gleamed the yellow fruit of the limes and the plantain's glossy drooping leaves and long curving stalks from which the nimble fingers of wild monkeys had plucked the ripe bananas. Here and there the ground was open; and the path following a natural depression in the hills gave down the gradually widening valley a view of the panorama of forest and plain lying below. As they passed a clump of tangled bushes a rustle and a pattering over the dry leaves under them caught the Colonel's ear. "Look out! _Kalej_," he whispered, picking up a stone and throwing it into the cover. A large speckled black and white bird whirred out; and Wargrave brought it down. "Good shot! There's another," called out Dermot, and fired with equal success. "We're lucky," he continued. "As a rule they won't break, but scuttle along under the bushes, so that one often has to shoot them running." Frank picked up the birds and examined them with interest before the Colonel stuffed them into his game bag and moved on down the path, which was growing steeper. The trees became more numerous and larger as they descended nearer the forest. Out of another clump of bushes the sportsmen succeeded in getting a second brace of pheasants. Lower down they passed through a belt of bamboos, where in one spot the long feathery boughs were broken off or twisted in wild confusion for a space of fifty yards' radius. "Wild elephants," said the Political Officer briefly and pointed to a patch of dust in which was the round imprint of a huge foot. Frank was a little startled; for he felt that against these great animals the bullets in their guns would be useless. "Are they dangerous, sir?" he asked.