THE TWO ELEPHANTS.
All this passed directly below Jack's horrified eyes. The pad-elephant
was so frightened at the advent of this savage specimen of his own
species, that he had turned stupid and made no attempt to obey his
driver's orders. Instead, he turned and backed slowly from the place,
keeping his head towards the "rogue." Thus Jack saw the ferocious
brute swiftly crush the life out of the man upon whom he knelt, then
leap up and rush back to the spot where the two ponies and the rider
who had used the _dah_ were still lying on the ground.
The ponies had both been trodden on in that terrific charge, and the
man, untouched by the elephant, had been flung three or four yards,
and lay half-stunned by his fall. As he scrambled to his feet the
"rogue" was upon him. With a scream of rage the maddened brute bent
down his huge head and delivered a sweeping stroke with his tusk. The
great sharp spear of ivory struck the man in the back and was driven
clean through the body. The elephant raised his head and swung the man
high above the ground. Jack shuddered as he saw the writhing figure
impaled on that huge tusk.
For a moment the elephant held his victim aloft as if in triumph, then
with a swing of his head he hurled the man far away, and looked round
for fresh victims. At the next moment the earth shook under his tread
as he thundered down upon the pad-elephant and the burden it bore.
"Cut me loose!" roared Jack to the half-caste. "What chance have I
got, tied to this howdah?"
But Saya Chone, ashen with fear, clung to the edge of the car, and had
eyes and ears for nothing save for the great beast charging full upon
them. Jack hurled himself to and fro, trying to slacken a little the
bonds which held him a prisoner under such fearful circumstances. If
the pad-elephant would only make a fight of it, there would be a
chance for its riders to slip down and escape, but how could Jack help
himself?
As the "rogue" made his last few sweeping strides upon them, the
pad-elephant seemed to pluck up the courage of desperation. He was a
fine, big, powerful fellow, though not equal in size to his wild
enemy, and now he took a step or two forward, threw out his huge
forehead, and met his enemy in full career.
The crash as the two huge beasts charged into each other was
tremendous. The pad-elephant was driven back half a dozen yards, but
he kept his feet. Then the two immense creatures, head braced to head
and tusks locked in tusks, began a steady trial of strength, each
striving to force the other back.
Now Saya Chone plucked out his heavy revolver, and, leaning over the
edge of the howdah, began to fire swiftly into the head and body of
the savage "rogue." But though the bullets cut deeply into the flesh,
and the blood spouted freely, the big brute troubled nothing about
that. As far as reaching any vital part went, the revolver might have
been a pop-gun, and the wild elephant gave himself up entirely to the
struggle with his tame brother.
In a few minutes it was seen that he was carrying the day. The
pad-elephant, with deep grunts of anger and fear, began to give way
before the fierce strength and impetuosity of his terrible opponent.
Jack looked round and saw that they were alone; the Malay and the
fourth attendant had fled from the place.
Then, at the next moment, the elephant under them gave up the fight.
He suddenly backed off, turned, and lumbered across the clearing in
full flight. The "rogue" threw up his trunk, and trumpeted a roar of
victory, then dashed after the pad-elephant in savage pursuit. He was
much swifter, and soon came up on the flank where Jack, by turning his
head, had him in full view. Jack saw the small, fierce eyes burning
with fury, and then the head was bent and the great forehead was
driven against the flying enemy. The shock was such that the
pad-elephant was driven to its knees, the driver was hurled over its
head, and Saya Chone flung headlong out of the car. Jack alone
remained in the howdah, held fast by his bonds.
Again the "rogue" elephant charged his enemy, and now the latter was
flung over on to its side, and the rim of the howdah brushed the
ground. Jack looked up in despair. The vast bulk of the infuriated
elephant hung right over him as the "rogue" prepared to trample upon
the foe whom he had hurled to the ground. In vain did Jack dash
himself to and fro in his bonds; he was fastened only too securely,
and he knew that the least stroke of the foot now raised above his
head would crush him as surely as a steam-hammer would crush a nut. At
the next second Jack saw a gleaming white tusk dart down towards him
as the "rogue" bent his head and struck.
The tusk went through the howdah within six inches of Jack's leg, and
was buried deep in the back of the pad-elephant Then the "rogue," as
he withdrew the dripping spear of ivory, caught sight of something and
turned his wicked little eyes on it. He saw the driver and Saya Chone
at some little distance running for their lives, and his fickle fancy
turned to the thoughts of making short work of them before he finished
with his tame brother.
Away he went in pursuit of this new object, and the pad-elephant
scrambled to its feet, and stood for a few moments as if bewildered
and uncertain what to do. During these few moments Jack saw the driver
caught and felled to earth by the huge beast before whose savage might
all stood helpless. Saya Chone had far outrun his companion, and the
half-caste disappeared among the trees as the "rogue" began to trample
upon the driver, whose frightful screams were silenced as both breath
and life itself were swiftly crushed out of the body, so soon made
pulp under those huge round feet.
Suddenly the pad-elephant wheeled about with big clumsy movements, and
was off at a good round lumbering trot in the opposite direction. He
had seen quite enough of this savage brother of the jungle, and had no
wish for further punishment. But the "rogue" had no intention of
letting him go so easily. Leaving the driver, the wild elephant dashed
after the tame one at full speed.
And now began a most extraordinary race. The pad-elephant darted
straight into the jungle and took the country as it came, straight
before him, thinking of nothing but escape. He dashed through groves
of bamboos and saplings, cutting his way clean through; he raced
grunting and puffing up hill-side and down ravines; he dodged through
the big trees with an agility and swiftness most wonderful in so heavy
and clumsy a beast, and all the time his enemy hung upon his rear,
sometimes near enough to gore his flank, sometimes out-distanced for a
little as the tame beast, frenzied with fear and pain, put out an
extraordinary burst of speed. And in the howdah, fast bound still to
the tough wicker-work, was Jack, the only spectator of this marvellous
chase through the jungle, and one with an immense stake in it.
When the "rogue" came up, Jack's heart beat thick with anxiety. If the
creature that bore him was once more knocked down, then he knew that
it would be all over with him. He would certainly be crushed like a
fly in the terrific struggle which would follow. When the
pad-elephant got away, Jack breathed a little more freely, until he
heard his enemy's ponderous steps once again thundering up.
Mile after mile, through jungle or over open plain, this marvellous
chase went on, and still the pad-elephant raced snorting for his life,
still the furious "rogue" pounded at his heels in hot pursuit.
Jack was nearly shaken to pieces. He braced his feet against the side
of the howdah, and propped himself firmly against a corner of the huge
basket in which he rode. More than once the curling trunk of the
pursuer was raised above his head, but, as is well known, the wild
elephant hesitated to attack a rider on the tame one's back. For three
full hours the furious monarch of the jungle drove the pad-elephant
before him, a ride Jack never forgot to the end of his days. Then they
came out on a wide grassy plain by a river, where a large herd of wild
elephants was standing knee-deep in the stream, solemnly spouting
water over their backs.
On rushed the pad-elephant, now panting and almost ready to fall from
exhaustion, towards his fellows. But the "rogue," a hater of his kind,
pulled up, trumpeted a few shrill notes of defiance, turned, and
trotted back into the jungle.
The pad-elephant now stood still, trembling from head to foot with his
tremendous exertions. The herd of wild elephants, more than twenty in
number, left the river and came towards the beast which bore the
howdah and Jack. They marched up in slow and stately fashion, without
any sign of anger, but apparently full of curiosity as to this
newcomer and his strange equipment.
At the next moment Jack found himself in a most extraordinary
position, his elephant being surrounded by the wild herd, whose trunks
ran here and there over their tame brother like so many hands being
stretched out to examine him. One big bull put his trunk into the
howdah and ran it over Jack, who remained perfectly still, knowing
that an incautious movement might arouse the animal's anger. But these
creatures seemed as mild and gentle as the "rogue" had been ferocious.
Before long their curiosity was satisfied, and they strolled away to
crop the young bamboo shoots.
At last Jack breathed a little more freely. His wild ride had been a
terrible business for him. A hundred and a hundred times had his heart
come into his mouth when the great beast that bore him had plunged
through groves where it seemed that over-hanging boughs must sweep
howdah and rider from the elephant's back. But he had come through all
these dangers safely, and now the "rogue" had gone back to the jungle
and the pad-elephant was at peace.
Presently Jack underwent an odd experience. His elephant walked down
to the river and took a long drink. Jack envied the lucky brute; he,
too, was parched with thirst. But in another moment he had water
enough and to spare, for the elephant, filling his trunk with water,
began to cool himself by spouting it over his body, and in a very
short time Jack was drenched to the skin.
"It's refreshing, at any rate," thought Jack, as he shut his eyes
against a fresh deluge of yellow water. "I wish to goodness I could
only work myself free. I've got clear away from Saya Chone and the
Strangler, and that's something to the good."
He began again to work himself about in his bonds, but he was soon
obliged to desist. He was already stiff, and he soon became very sore
as he struggled with his fastenings, which seemed to be eating into
his very flesh.
"It's no go," he said half-aloud. "I cannot shake myself loose," and
he fell back into his corner.
His elephant now came out of the river, and looked around eagerly for
food. The herd of wild ones was already deep in a large bamboo
thicket, and the tame one went at once after them and began to crop
and munch the bamboo shoots. The wild elephants, feeding as they went,
plunged farther and farther into a region of wild jungle, far from any
habitations of men, and the tame one steadily followed them, bearing
on his back the young Englishman, a prisoner, and forced to accompany
the elephant wherever he might go.
"I've heard," thought Jack, "that these tame ones will often break
away and join wild herds. I'm in a pretty desperate fix if I've got to
remain lashed in this howdah while this brute rambles far and wide
with this troop of companions he has hit upon."
He looked around on every side, but saw nothing that could give him
the slightest cause for hope. With every step he was being carried
deeper and deeper into the recesses of the jungle where no hunter
dare venture, where the elephant, the tiger, and the leopard rule as
undisputed masters. His plight was terrible. Who would free him, who
could free him of the bonds which held him in subjection to so cruel a
fate?