we could not get into their gardens and eat the corn and other things
that grow there. Very good things grow in the gardens which the white
and black men plant, and, more than once in the night, I have broken
in and eaten them. But it is dangerous, and Tusker does not want to
lead us into danger. We will keep away from the fence."

Now, though the elephants did not know it, this fence was not built to
keep elephants out of a garden. There were no gardens in that part of
the jungle. The fence was put up by hunters on purpose to turn the
elephants back, and soon you shall hear why this was done.

"Are we in danger now?" asked Umboo of his father as they hurried
along, close beside Tusker.

"No, I think we are all right now," said the oldest, wisest and
largest elephant of the herd. "I am going to lead you to the salt
springs, where we can taste the salt of the earth. One way is as good
as another, and if the fence stops us on one path we will go a new
way. We are going to the salt springs."

Every year the herds of elephants in India come down to eat salt, for
they need it to keep them well, as horses and cows do on the farm. And
the elephant hunters know this too, and so they get ready to capture
the wild elephants when they come down each season to get the salt.

The herd was not going so fast now. Tusker felt that they were well
away from the hunters, and, though seeing the fence at first scared
him a little, he now thought everything was all right.

"We will have good times when we get to the salt springs," said Tusker