“SHE IS MAD.”
As both parties met and looked down on the bruised and blackened face of
Enola, a cry of horror went up from each one of them. Hope had still had
life as long as there was any uncertainty, but now it had met its death.
“Look,” said Harry, “the elephant is not dead. See, he is trying to move
his head.”
Hurriedly the party dismounted, and Onrai lifted Enola carefully in his
arms. She had fallen across Gip’s outstretched trunk when the crash
came, and here she now laid. When Onrai lifted her up, Gip tried to
raise his head, but this he could not do. The whole side of it was
crushed in, or the lower part of it was, and he looked up with pitiful
eyes, begging help from the party bending over him.
Onrai still had Enola in his arms when Mr. Bruce came up and said:
“Lay her down on the grass, Onrai, until I can make an examination.
Quick, she may yet be living; the elephant is.”
Carefully Onrai laid her on the grass, holding her head in his lap. Mr.
Bruce bent down, and placing his ear to her heart, said:
“She yet lives. Quick, bring me a flask of brandy.” A flask was handed
him, and placing this to the lips of Enola, poured a few drops down her
throat. “Bring some water,” he again commanded, and this having been
handed him, he bathed her bruised face and hands with it. She was badly
lacerated, the cuts not being deep, but so many of them that an inch of
whole skin could scarcely be found.
Harry looked as long as he could, but finally walked away; the sight of
his loved one in this condition crazing him.
But for the faint beating of the heart, all would have pronounced her
dead, for it could scarcely be hoped that one so terribly cut and
bruised could survive. Even the body had not been spared, and great
blotches of flesh had been torn from it by contact with the flying
debris.
“Is there hope?” almost whispered Onrai.
“I cannot say,” said Mr. Bruce. “But if blood-poisoning does not set in,
I should think, with her splendid constitution, she might get well. But
she has laid here for hours exposed, and it is greatly against her
chances for recovery. She must be taken where women attendants can help
her, and that immediately.” And Mr. Bruce had to again place his ear
over the region of the heart in order to tell whether she was yet alive.
“See, she opens her eyes,” said Harry, as he again comes up.
Yes, it was true, she had opened her eyes, but only for an instant, and
then closed them again.
“Enola, look; do you not know us?” said Harry, as he bent over her.
Her eyes again opened, and she tried to part her parched and bleeding
lips, but she had not yet the strength.
“There may be some hope now, I think,” said Mr. Bruce.
Hurriedly a litter was made from the blanket taken from the elephant,
and with one of her friends at each corner of this, Enola was carried to
the nearest villa. This was not far away, and, when reached, attendants
were found in waiting, and Enola being carried to one of the large, cool
and comfortable apartments, she was soon under the care of female
attendants. Carefully they bathed the bruised and bleeding body, and
under Mr. Bruce’s orders they anointed and bandaged the cuts. Finally,
after long and hard work, and after hope of resuscitating her was nearly
lost, she opened her eyes.
Mr. Bruce was standing at her side at the time, and seeing that she had
regained consciousness, and that danger for the time was passed, he
carried the glad news to the anxious ones waiting for his report. All
immediate anxiety being allayed they breathed freer. Onrai, who now felt
at liberty to return to the city, began to make preparations for so
doing, he feeling that at such a time his presence was greatly needed
among his people. Accordingly he took a few of his attendants, and after
making arrangements for hourly messengers to be sent him, giving full
account of Enola’s condition, he started. Just before leaving, Enola
opened her eyes, and after a moment, uttered the one word, “Gip.”
It was perfectly natural that returning consciousness should bring to
memory the fearful experiences of the night before and of the brave
animal which had fought so nobly to protect, and save her life. In their
anxiety for Enola all thought of poor Gip had been forgotten, but when
she spoke his name and they knew that she was anxious about him, and
when they remembered all that he had done for her, they censured
themselves for having forgotten him for even a moment.
Onrai gave orders to some of his people to go to the assistance of Gip,
and to do all in their power to relieve the noble beast, if yet alive.
Mr. Bruce, not being needed for the time in the sick-room, went with the
party as did also Sedai. The great animal heard them coming, and tried
to raise his shattered head, but could not. A slight movement of the
trunk was the only sign of life he could give. Mr. Bruce had not made a
study of the anatomy of the elephant, and he understood very little
about them, but he determined to do all he could for the animal.
Gip had unfortunately fallen on his right side and it was necessary for
them to turn him over. This was no easy task; in fact it looked at first
as if this could not be accomplished; but Mr. Bruce quickly thought out
a plan which proved successful. Large ropes were tied to the legs of the
side on which the animal was lying, and by a long and hard pull he was
turned over onto the unbruised side. A groan, almost human in its
intensity, escaped the crushed beast, as he was pulled over but he
seemed to understand that his friends were there to help him. Mr. Bruce
commenced at once to examine his wounds.
The lower side of the head had been crushed and the body for half its
length was lacerated. He had fallen on these wounds and the sand and
gravel which covered the ground had worked into the wounds and were now
held there by clotted blood. Water was brought from the lake and poured
into the wounds until cleansed of all dirt, and then soothing liniments
were poured into them. Gip did not make a movement, the great
intelligent beast realizing that all this washing and anointing was
being done to help him. It was a question as to how they were going to
bandage the huge body, and after careful consideration this was deemed
impossible until he could stand, as they could not carry the bandage
about the body otherwise. The head, however, was lifted by the exertions
of a dozen of the attendants and great, white silk bandages were carried
around the monstrous hulk. Pails of water were now brought and he drew
in great draughts with his trunk. Food was also brought where he could
reach it. Everything that could possibly be done for his comfort was
done, and two men were left to watch over the animal until evening, when
he was to be again bandaged, and, if possible, gotten on his feet and
taken to the villa.
Mr. Bruce now hurried back to the villa. He had been gone for some time
and he feared that Enola might need his attention. He had considerable
misgiving regarding her speedy recovery, or even her recovery at all,
for she had been fearfully bruised and cut, and had been so long exposed
afterward, that there was great fear of blood-poisoning setting in. He
realized what this wonderful woman had undergone in these few short
hours, and he doubted if another could have passed through such an
ordeal and lived. But Enola had a perfectly healthy constitution and Mr.
Bruce had a faint hope that this intrepid girl might pull through.
As he entered the villa, Nellie, who had been sent for, met him in the
hall, and to his look of inquiry, said,
“She has awakened but her mind is gone; she is mad.”