As the tree into which they had retreated was a very large one, there
was no longer any present fear of danger from the elephant, however
furious the latter might be; and they could look down upon it and watch
its movements with a feeling of perfect security. The only one of the
party that was in dangerous proximity to that dreaded proboscis was
Fritz; but Fritz had already been well warned of the wicked designs of
the great brute, and was sufficiently swift-footed and sage enough to
give the animal a wide berth.
As for the elephant itself, having recovered its feet, it stood for some
seconds flapping its huge ears, and apparently in a kind of quandary--as
if taken aback by the unexpected accident that had befallen it. Not for
long, however, did it continue in this tranquil attitude. The arrow
still sticking in its trunk reminded it of its purposes of vengeance.
Once more angrily elevating its tail, and sounding its shrill trumpet,
it rushed towards the fallen tree, and buried its long proboscis among
the branches. One by one it turned them over, as if in search of some
object. It was searching for the shikaree.
After a time it desisted from this manoeuvre, and looked around--
evidently with a puzzled air, and wondering what had become of the man.
It had not seen him as he rushed towards the great tree: for his retreat
had been made while the creature was sprawling upon its back. Just then
Fritz chanced to show himself--crouching under the branches upon which
his masters had taken refuge, and evidently envying them their secure
situation.
The sight of Fritz was enough. It was he who had first challenged the
elephant on its approach through the woods, and had conducted it under
that terrible battery of bullets and arrows. As soon, therefore, as the
latter set eyes upon the dog, its fury not only became rekindled, but
apparently redoubled; and, hoisting its tail on high, it charged full
tilt upon its original adversary.
Had the assailant been a boar, or even a bull, no doubt Fritz would have
stood his ground, or only swerved to one side, the better to elude the
onset, and make an attack in turn. But with a quadruped as big as a
house--and of which Fritz, not being of Oriental origin, knew so little;
and of that little nothing that was good--one, too, evidently provided
with most formidable weapons, a tongue several feet long, and tusks in
proportion--it is not to be wondered at, nor is it any great blot upon
his escutcheon, that Fritz turned tail and fled. So fast fled he, that
in less than a score of seconds he was out of sight--not only of his
masters in the tree, but of his pursuer, the elephant. The latter only
followed him for some half-dozen lengths of its own carcase; and seeing
that the pursuit was likely to be a wild-goose chase, declined following
Fritz any farther.
They in the tree, as the elephant started after the dog, were in hopes
that the pursuit might carry the dangerous animal to some distance, and
thus give them time to get back to the ground, and make their escape
from the spot.
In this, however, they were doomed to disappointment; for having
desisted from the chase of the dog, the great pachyderm returned to the
point from whence it had started; and, after once more tossing the
broken branches of the fallen chestnut tree upon the point of its
proboscis, it commenced pacing round and round the fallen obelisk,
keeping in regular circles, as if it were training itself for some
performance in an amphitheatre.
For more than an hour did the brute continue this circular promenade, at
intervals stopping to give utterance to its shrieking note; but most of
the time moving on in sullen silence. Now and then it directed its
eyes, and once or twice its trunk, towards the branches of the prostrate
tree as if it had still some suspicion that he who sent that stinging
arrow was there concealed. Indeed, it appeared by its movements to be
keeping guard over that particular spot, lest its enemy should escape.
It had long since extracted the arrow, by placing its great foot upon
the shaft, and drawing it forth.
Fritz had stolen back to the edge of the thicket, but kept cowering so
close that the elephant could not see him.
The parties perched above were more than annoyed by their imprisonment
thus procrastinated, and began to think of how they might set themselves
free. They talked of making a rush to possess themselves of their guns;
but to Karl this appeared too perilous to be attempted. It was not
twenty yards from the tree to the spot where rested the dismounted
monolith; and the elephant, whose eye was in a state of continual
activity, could not fail to see them descending from the branches. The
massive creature, though it moved about with apparently a gentle griding
step, could go almost as fast as a galloping horse; and should it espy
them in time, there would be but slight chance of eluding its prehensile
trunk.
Moreover, the sight of them--even should they succeed in regaining the
tree--would rekindle its rage, and cause it to prolong its stay upon the
ground.
There was yet another consideration that influenced them to remain
patiently on their perch. They knew that they had provided themselves
with only a very limited quantity of ammunition. That article had
become scarce with them; and they had prudently determined to economise
it. Karl had only two bullets left, with just powder enough to make two
charges; while Caspar's horn and pouch were not better filled. They
might fire their whole stock of lead into the elephant, and still not
succeed in killing a creature that sometimes walks off triumphantly with
a score of bullets "under his belt." These shots might only have the
effect of incensing it still more, and causing it to stay upon the
ground to an indefinite period.
It was a true _rogue_--Ossaroo had long since pronounced it one--and an
"old tusker" at that. It was therefore a most dangerous creature; and
though they knew they would never be safe in that valley until it should
be destroyed, it was agreed by all that it would be more prudent to
leave it undisturbed until some more favourable opportunity occurred for
effecting its destruction.
For these various reasons they resolved to remain quiet in the tree, and
patiently await the termination of that curious "ring performance,"
which the old tusker still continued to keep up.