"I don't think there's much danger that he'd be here, so go ahead," returned Schoverling to their delight. "Circle around for a couple of hundred yards, but don't get out of sight. If he was here last night, he was probably drinking, and has gone in to feed."
The two boys left the party, followed by Akram and Amir Ali, their gun-bearers. But although they searched the ground well, no sign of a trail did they see. Getting a little farther from the party all the time, they proceeded for nearly a mile, and found the forest verging into a jungle of bamboo.
"Jack," exclaimed Charlie quietly, stopping, "come over here."
Jack and the Indians joined him, and he pointed to the ground a yard ahead. There, deep in the soft soil, was the fresh spoor of an elephant—and at its size the Indians gave a gasp of wonder. It was the rogue!
CHAPTER XVIII
LOST!
Charlie looked around. The bamboos were all about them, and without retracing their steps they could not summon the others. Jack gripped his arm.
"Look here, Chuck! Let's cut away from the General an' get after that rogue ourselves!"