The Elephant God

titions, began to regard him with awe, impressed by the firm belief in his supernatural nature held by their co-religionists among the mahouts and elephant coolies. Among the scattered dwell

he sympathy between the best-trained horse and its rider seem a very small thing. The elephant loved the man; and when the Major

t these times. Badshah needed no attention on these excursions. The jungle everywhere supplied him with food, and water was always to be found in gullies in the hills. It was unnecessary to shackle him at night when Dermot slept beside him in the forest. The elephant never strayed, but stayed by his man to watch over h

with some ship's biscuits and a few tins of preserved meat he was ready to face the jungle for days. Limes and bananas grew freely in the foothills. Besides his rifle he

ches and noting the ranges of all positions suitable for defence, artillery, or observation. Mounted on Badsha

s passing through. He gradually established a species of intelligence department among these colonists, whose dread and hatred of their former rulers have made them very pro-British. Through them he was able to keep a check on the comings and goings of trans-frontier Bhutanese, who are permitted to enter India freely, although an English subject is not allowed by his own Government to penetrate into Bhutan. Despite t

ying the debt that he owed to Badshah for the saving of his life. They had halted at midday, and the man, seated on the groun

hrill trumpet from the invisible Badshah made him grasp his rifle. Skilled in the knowledge of the various sounds that elephants make he knew by the brassy note of this that the animal was in deadly f

every indication of terror the man saw that, moving over the ground with an almost incredible speed, a large serpent came in close pursuit. Even in the open across which Badshah was fleeing it was actually gaining on the elephant, as with an extraordina

yad, or king-cobra. All other big snakes in India are pythons, which are not venomous. But this, the deadliest, most terrible of all Asiatic serpents, is very poisonous and will wanto

ant need fear in the jungle, and Badshah seemed to know that only

e sight would not permit it to see him. It swerved out of its course and came towards him. When but a few feet away it suddenly checked and, swiftly writhin

etid effluvia that had a paralysing effect on him. He was experiencing the extraordinary fascination that a snake exercises over its victims. His muscles seemed benumbed, as the huge head swayed from side to side

ang back as the heavy body fell forward and lashed and heaved with con

urried retreat and turned. Then, still showing ev

," said the Major to him

rasped the hamadryad's tail with both hands, striving to hold it still. But it dragged him from side to side and the writhing coils of the

s badly frightened and, when Dermot mounted him, set off f

filled his haversack with provisions one morning and, shouldering his rifle, descended the winding mountain road to the peelkhana. Long before this was visible through the trees of the foothills he was apprised by the trumpeting of the elephants and the loud shouts

ng from the female elephants, Badshah stalked, ears cocked and tail up and t

st the Major in such alarm that they almost failed to notice him.

ied in warning. "The fit is on him ag

the elephant which stalked on with ears thrust forward and ta

elephant turned and went straight to him, to the amazement of the peelkhana attendants watching from behind trees on the hillside. Yet they feared lest his in

les and swung himself astride of his neck. Then the elephant rose again and of his own volition rolled sw

ies stole from the shelter of t

s gone mad, too," excla

sorrowfully. "Afsos hun (I am sorry), for he was a good sah

h broke in

god Gunesh himself. He will let no harm come t

g the elephant attend

y man stop a dhantwallah (tusker) when the madness was upon him? Which of ye has known a white man to have

gods. But afrits there are, djinns-beings more than man. What know we of those

that can puzzle him. He knows its ways, the speech of the men in it-ay, and of its animals, too. He was a great shikari (hunter

than days. For nights. What man among us, what man even of these

down alone beside his elephant in the jungle all night? Yet the sahib

owly shook

harm. Or my elephant either. The budmash tried to kill the sahib, and Bads

orest?" asked Chotu again.

amnath shoo

o? They go under the sea in ships, beneath the land in carriages. So say the sepoys who have been

e," broke in th

lao (Lucknow),

ld a dhantwallah when the mad fit was on him, as our sahib has d

s was very near them. Among the various creeds in India there is a wide tolerance and a readiness to believe that there may be something of truth in all the faiths that men profess. A

rider felt that, although the elephant had allowed him to mount to his accustomed place, it would resent any attempts at restraint or guidance. But indeed Dermot had no wish to control it. He was filled with an immense desire to learn the mystery of Badshah's frequent disappearances. The Major was convinced that the animal had a definite objective in view, so

with the vivid green leaves and fruit of the limes. Then came the big trees, from which the myriad creepers hung in graceful festoons. Here t

strewn with rounded boulders rolled down from the hills. The sudden change from the pleasant green gloom of the forest to the harsh glare of the brilliant sunshine was startling. As they crossed the open D

k, leafy canopy of the giant simal and teak once more. The further they went from the hills the denser, more tropical became the undergrowth. The soil was damper and supported a richer, more luxuriant vegetation. Cane brakes through wh

slushy. Little streams began to trickle, for the water from the mountains ten miles away that sinks into the soil at the foot of

noisome water, and the cold, unwinking eyes stared at elephant and man as they passed. The rank abundant f

verywhere, as far as the eye could range between the trees, they were massed, not in tens or scores, but in hundreds. On every side were vistas of multitudes of great heads with gleaming white

nce on the neck or back of a tame elephant. He had seen in a kheddah, when the mahouts and noosers had gone on their train

his rifle ready to fire if necessary, he tried with foot and hand to swing Badshah about. But his elephant absolutely ignored his efforts and

udible from one throat, it sounded from these many hundreds like the rumble of distant thunder. And in answer to it there came from Badshah's trunk a low sou

him to sense him, with a unanimity of motion that made it seem as if they were receiving him with a salute. And, as Ba

kind was beyond credence Dermot knew that wild elephants do not welcome a strange male into a herd. He has to fight, and fight hard, for admission, which he can only gain by defeating the bull that is its leader and tyrant. But that several herds should come together-for that there were several was evident, since the greatest stre

lean, fleshless skulls, their sunken temples and hollow eyes, emaciated bodies and straight, thin legs. And the cleares

odies with straight backs sloping to the long, well-feathered tails. Most of them were tuskers-and the sight of one magnificent bull near Dermot made the sportsman's

est ones were about four or five months old. A few had not shed their first woo

animals extended theirs towards him. These he touched, and they in their turn touched those of their neighbours beyond his reach. They d

stir among the animals, and soon the whole mass was in motion. Then he saw that the elephants were m

the first approached it lifted its trunk, and to Dermot's astonishment gently touched him on the leg with it. Then it passed on and the next animal took its place and in

ered his wild kindred to make themselves acquainted with his human friend. It seemed a ridiculous idea, but

en daubed with tar, while on the trunk of one very large tusker was an almost obliterated ornamental design in white paint, and his tusks were tipped with brass. So it was apparent that

the last elephant had passed; and Dermot, cramped by sitting still on Badshah's

ldest beasts were still in front. This surprised him, as it was altogether contrary to the custom of wild elephants. For usually on a march the cows with calves lead the way. This is logical and reasonable; because if an unencum

old elephants were allowed to remain in front. For all of them were exceedingly feeble, and some seemed at death's door

ed in the jungle from natural causes. Though few corners of Indian or Ceylon forests remain unexplored, no carcases or skeletons of these ani

mountains clear and distinct in the rays of the setting sun. As he reached the far bank Dermot turned round to look back. Behind them stretched the procession of elephants in single file, eac

wn they were still plodd