Noon
He thought that there might be a bare possibility of finding her body , or the remains of it , for he was positive that she had been devoured by some beast of prey . He deployed his men into a skirmish line from the point where Esmeralda had been found , and in this extended formation they pushed their way , sweating and panting , through the tangled vines and creepers . It was slow work . Noon found them but a few miles inland . They halted for a brief rest then , and after pushing on for a short distance further one of the men discovered a well-marked trail . It was an old elephant track , and D'Arnot after consulting with Professor Porter and Clayton decided to follow it . The path wound through the jungle in a northeasterly direction , and along it the column moved in single file .