noon
It was these same tusks digging round trees for the purpose of grubbing up roots that had produced the strange sounds , and it was the shouts of Quashy and Tiger in pursuit that had awakened the echoes of the forest . On the heels of the large animals came galloping and squealing a herd of little ones , and close upon these followed the two hunters just named -- panting , war-whooping , and cheering . Several of the little pigs were speared ; some were even caught by the tail , and a goodly supply of meat was obtained for at least that day and the next . But before noon of that next day an event of a very different and much more serious nature occurred . It was early morning at the time . They were traversing a wide sheet of water , both banks of which were high , richly-wooded , and all aglow with convolvuli and other flowers , and innumerable rope-like creepers , the graceful festoons and hanging tendrils of which gave inexpressible softness to the scene . In the middle of the lake-like expanse were numerous mud-flats , partly covered with tropical reeds and rushes of gigantic size .