The Elephant God

on the verandah, her eyes turned to the long line

tantial as the clouds from which they rose. They belonged to another world, a fairy world altogether apart from the rugged, tumbled masses, the awe-inspiring precipices and treme

id the girl aloud. "I've nev

dining-room of the bungalow. The young man

I've seen them, nothing but them, all through these

r seemed so beautiful as it does this morning. And it looks

r-like resignation, her brother put down h

yland?" said the gi

ectionately round

ng, kiddie, for you look

s of the fairies, then Noreen Daleham might claim to be one. Her face in repose had a somewhat sad expression, due to the pathetic droop of the corners of her little mouth and a wistful look in her eyes that made most men instinctively desire to caress a

nd light lovemaking. Her innate purity and innocence kept such things at a distance from her. It never occurred to her that a girl might indulge in a hundred flirtations with

British men-though they are no more virtuous than those of alien nations-treat a woman as she inwardly wants them to treat her. And,

ccompany her brother in his early ride through the tea-garden (of which he was assistant manager) in the Duars, as this district of the Terai below the mountains is called. From the verandah on which they stood they could look over acres of

of becoming a soldier, and, when he left school, entered an office in the city. Passionately desirous of an open-air and active life he had afterwards eagerly snatched at an offer of employment by one of the gre

o years her brother's junior, had gladly given up the dulness of a home with a

lisation. Dances, theatres, concerts, even shops, are far, very far away. A woman must have mental resources to enable her to face contentedly life in a scantily-furnished, comfortless bungalow, dumped down in a monotonous stretch of un

ndon could offer. And yet the delights of town were not unknown to her. Her father's first cousin, who had loved him but married a rich man, often invited the girl to stay with her in her house in Grosvenor Square. These visits gave her an insight into life in Mayfair with its attendant pleasures of dances in smart houses, dinners and suppers in expensive restaurants, the Opera and theatres, and afternoons at Ranelagh and Hurlingham. She enjoyed them all; she had enough money to dress well; and she was very popular. But London could not hold her. Her relative, who was childless, was a

word, in spite of all that ignorant demagogues in England may say, Fred Daleham felt all the more keenly the disappointment of his inabi

r?" he said to his sister no

have you finish

or I have a long morning's work, and we ha

o order the syces, or gro

, dear?" asked the girl,

e if the young plants have suffered

le in England say if they got hai

the withering shed," said the brother. "It was a solid lu

em," observed the girl. "I wonder that everyone

men, too, for that ma

mart little riding-

to the nursery," she said.

r brother. "I always funk that short cut through the bit of jungle

the ride through that exquisite patch of forest. The trees

nts are not dangerous out of your head," said

y says th

climbing up the wall of his room when he's got D.T's. He never went out shooting in the jungle in his lif

forest could prove perilous to her, and she feare

he admitted grudgingly. "But I don't believe

her brother. "I'd almost like you to meet one, just to teach you not to be such a cocksure young wo

Daleham swung his sister up into the saddle of her

hough Kinchinjunga had now drawn up his covering of clouds over his face and the Snows had disappeared. The long orderly lines of tea-bushes were dotted here and there with splashes of colour

along the soft earthern road, soon reached the patch of

the long way round," said Daleham app

" urged the girl. "If you don't, I'll go

currence and always ended

his sister consolingly, wh

ther. "You've got your own way, as usual. I h

with the whip. The animal seemed to dislike entering the forest

ey rode on into the jungle. A bridle path wound through the

y of the giant trees, their huge limbs clothed in the green leaves and drooping trails of blossoms of the orchids, the tangled patt

went back through the strip of jungle. They rode over the whole estate, including the untidy ramshackle village of bamboo and pal

engine and drying-houses with their corrugated iron

on and see to the drinks and things we've got to send to the club. I

housewife. "Long before you were awake I helped the cook to pack the cold

ict. This is very unlike the institutions known by that name to dwellers in civilised cities. No marble or granite palace is it, but a rough wooden shed with one or two rooms built out in the forest far from human habitations, but in a spot as central and equi-d

d will come together to it. Across rivers, through forest, jungle, and peril of wild beasts they journey on their

sends in charge of his servants to the club-house miles away from his bungalow food and dri

lated for a week rub off the cobwebs, lunch, play tennis, polo, and cards, and swap stories at the bar until the declining sun warns them of the necessity for departing bef

confronts them on their way. But the intrepid planter, and his not less courageous women-folk, if he has any to accompany him, gallops fear

for their guests and could ride home now with a clear conscience to wait for her brother to return for their second breakfast. The early morning repast, t

e bungalow a man came down the steps of

unerbutty," she exclai

am. Just back from your r

mployees of these estates are Europeans. Chunerbutty was an exception. A Bengali Brahmin by birth, the son of a minor official in the service of a petty rajah of Eastern Bengal, he had chosen engineering instead of medicine or la

that Englishmen in India thought none the more of him for foreswearing his native land, and he contrasted bitterly their manner to him with the reception that he had met with in the circles in which he moved in England. He had been regarded as a hero

had ever since felt in the Bengali's debt. He inspired his sister with the same belief, and in consequence Noreen always endeavoured to show her gratitude to Chunerbutty by frank friendliness. They had all three sailed to India in the same ship, and on the voyage sh

njust to natives, but intimate acquaintance with the Bengali does not tend to make them love him. For the Dalehams' sake most of the men in the district received Chun

en ascended the steps of the v

the club this after

en waiting at your bungalow to see you. I

though. I want to see that the

s they seated themselves in the drawing-room that Noreen had made as pretty as she could wi

ally. You know Englishmen as a rule are not expansive.

m an Indian. It is that hateful prejudice of the English man and woman in this country. It is different in England. You know

ed Noreen, who was secretly tired of the s

een with me. I know that if I liked I could have picked up lots of ladies, real ladies, I mean, not shop-girls. You should have se

roke in

speak disrespectfully of ladies." Then, to change the disagreeable subject, she continued: "Fred

th Europeans, but even showed no objection to beef, much to the horror of all orthodox Hindus. That a Brahmin, o

household, disorganised by the absence of cook and butl

elled over the right to help her from the saddle. While they were disputing vehemently and pushing each other away the laughing girl slipped unaided to the ground and ran up the wooden steps of the verandah. She was instantly pursued by th

I look after tiffin if you interfere with me like this? Now do be good

was apparently unable to climb down from her bamboo cart without help. Her husband an

ognise that the days of her youth and good looks had gone by. On the garden she spent her time lounging in her bungalow in an untidy dressing-gown, skimming through light novels and the fashion papers and writing interminable letters to her family in Balham. Her elderly husband, a weak, easy-going man, tired of

shion plates in ladies' journals. Her face thickly coated with most of the creams, powders, and complexion beautifiers on the market, she swathed her head in a thick veil thrown over her sun-hat. Then, prepared for conq

uld cajole from the bar running down the side of the one room of the building. With the extraordinar

lder woman. But after a while, finding that her sneers and thinly-veiled bitter speeches against th

ny, a grey-haired planter named Payne. Many of the younger men had striven hard to win her favour, and several had wished to marry her; but, liking them all,

eham called out from t

that young sister of mine that wild

, turning to Noreen. "Take my ad

at one need be afraid of?" the g

am," said another planter. "We've had two m

utters have been attacked lately," joined in another. "One

cried Mrs. Rice with affected timidity.

eer named Goddard. "Our mahout had the story from one of the mahouts of the Fort. He had a cock-and-bull yarn about the sahib being save

marked a planter named Lulworth. "They say he can do anything with wild elepha

near him

Goddard's yarn. Did you make it up on the s

miled good

d. "I had it from a half-bred Gurkha livi

ding Ranga Dua

Dermot; a Major,"

be in these parts before-commanded Buxa Duar when there

did a lot of shooting in them. He bagged that budmash (rogue) elephant that

glad he's back. We used to be rat

med in Mrs. Rice. "It would be such a pleasant change to have som

to the lady's tactless remarks that they only a

t you, Mrs. Rice," said Payne l

he married

Army and heir to an uncle who is a baronet. Good-looking chap, too. Clever beggar, well read and a good soldier, I believe. He has a wonderful way with animals. I had

-you know, that play they had in town ab

Crichton,

ms a wonderful chap," she said. "Do ask him.

oddard. "If he does, it's evident that n

as she caught Noreen's ey

of the men walked round to the back of the building to select a spot

er to the club he seemed to make a point of emphasising the friendly terms on which they were for the benefit of all beholders. As a matter of fa

a, he called to her across the club and addressed her by her Christian name. Noreen took it to be an accident

nd companionship it was in the week. The setting sun gave the signal for departure. After exc

arted off to ride over the garden. Ordering her pony she followed him. She guessed that he had gone first to the nursery, and when she reached the shor

, flinging her to the ground. Then

she shrieked in terror. She was in the middle of a herd of wild elephants which surrounded