Somewhat to his surprise he experienced no difficulty in finding them; as,
when he set out from the _peelkhana_ in search of them, Badshah seemed to
know what he wanted and carried him straight to them. For each day the
animal appeared to understand his man's inmost thoughts more and more, and
to need no visible expression of them.

When they reached the herd, the elephants received Badshah without any
demonstration of greeting, unlike the previous occasion. They showed no
objection to Dermot's presence among them. The little animal with the
blotched trunk recognised him at once and came to him, and the other calves
soon followed its example and made friends with him. The big elephants
betrayed no fear, and allowed him to stroll on foot among them freely.

This excursion was merely the first of many that Dermot made with the herd,
with which he often roamed far and wide through the forest. And sometimes,
without his knowing it, he was seen by some native passing through the
jungle, who hurriedly climbed a tree or hid in the undergrowth to avoid
meeting the elephants. From concealment the awed watcher gazed in
astonishment at the white man in their midst, of whom such wonderful tales
were told in the villages. And when he got back safely to his own hamlet
that night the native added freely to the legends that were gathering
around Dermot's name among the jungle and hill-dwellers.

On one occasion Dermot, seated on Badshah's neck, was following in rear of
the herd when it was moving slowly through the forest a few miles from the
foot of the hills. A sudden halt in the leisurely progress made him wonder
at the cause. Then the elephants in front broke their formation and crowded
forward in a body, and Dermot suddenly heard a human cry. Fearing that they
had come unexpectantly on a native and might do him harm, he urged Badshah
forward through the press of animals, which parted left and right to let