The Elephant God

elephants she was terrified. The stories of their ferocity told her at the club flashed across her mind, and she felt that she w

voice fell on her ears

rmed. You are

er astonishment and relief a white man sit

ed. "I was terrified. I thought

ot s

t you. Can I help you? What are you doing h

ished to find an Englishwoman alone and in distress in the forest. Her appearance was calculated to cause him to wonder-and a feminine

to reduce her unruly tresses to order. "It shied at

e nothing except elephants, wh

you far from your camp?" persiste

ea-garden. It is quite near. I can walk back, thank you,

ness, and she was obliged to sit down on the ground. The shock o

n Badshah's head, and

t to walk far," said Dermo

pocket in the pad he extracted a flask of bra

holding it to her lips.

placed on the pad on Badshah's back. This cool disposal of her took her breath away, but to her surprise she felt th

the flas

ed to ridin

ook he

ff when Badshah rises to his feet. You had better keep your hand on

neck he continued: "Now, be ready

ipped off the pad at the sudden and

ction in which your garden l

" Noreen answered. "Th

y, but instantly grasped it again. Derm

hensively, looking at them where they were grouped together, gaz

won't follow. We'd create rather too much of a sensation if

offensive now; though when I was on the ground they seemed very d

inoffensive, if you don't go too near it. Cow-elephants with young c

mness and determination. His face in repose was grave, almost stern, but she had seen it melt in sudden tenderness as he sprang to her aid when she had felt faint. She noticed that his eyes were very attractive and unusually dark-due, although she did not know it, to the Spanish strain in him as in so many other Irish of the far west of Connaught-and with his darker hair, which had a little wave in it, and his small black moustache they gave him an almost foreign look. The girl had a sudden mental vision of him as a fierce rover of bygone days on the Spanish Main. But when, in a swift transition, little laughter-wrinkles creased around his eyes that softened in a merry smile

nked you yet for saving me, but I do so now most heartily. I can't tell you how grateful I feel.

t lau

some danger to you, had I not been with them. For one can never tell what eleph

oed in surprise. "But you sai

ed years ago in the jungle about here. I think he must have belonged

but

nk. He and I are great pals," and Dermot laid his hand affectionately on Badshah

mbered the conversat

er from the Fort up at

etachment of Military Police there,

that you could do wonderful things with wild elephant

e exclaimed. "

w. At our last weekly meeting they spoke of you and said that you had ne

hini? I knew him wel

he? I like h

ed at Buxa Duar with my Double Company

n to the open stretch of furrowed land pla

," said Noreen. "My brother is the as

to where, on the road ahead of them, a man on a pony was g

r. Oh, what's happen

he elephant and stopped dead suddenly,

! Here I am

in its rider strove to make it go on. It suddenly put an end to the dispute between them by sw

after the pa

all right. Once he gets to a safe distance from Badshah the pony will pull up. Horses ar

other was in no danger she smiled at th

said. "He probably thought I was killed or at least had met

armed if your pony w

It must have bolted back to its stable and

sound," said Dermot. "Hold on tightly n

e coolies bending over the tea-bushes stopped their work to stare at them. Noreen remarked that they appe

steps of the verandah, waiting for them. He had recognised th

e ran down the st

e house. "I've been worried to death about you. When the servants came to the factory to say t

gaily. "You'll say it served me right. Wait unti

tightly," he replied. "Buth, Badshah.

ted her off the pad, the

nd and say, 'I told you so.' But I must introduce you to Major Dermot. This is my brother, M

her to suggest their going on to the verandah to get out of the su

narrative he cou

t had not been there?" He turned to their visitor and continued: "I must thank you

you were right in advising her

you see,

pouted

dangerous, Major

weeks, months, in it without any harm befalling you; but on the other hand you might b

ou?" asked the girl. "You said that your elephant

clusion of it, turned to look at Badshah, who had taken refuge from the sun's rays under a tree and was standing in the shade, shifting his weight from l

im. "You are a hero. I'm very proud t

ight! I say, all our servants have come out to look at him. By Jove! any amoun

" said his sister enthusiastically. "He is well w

Badshah and touched the earth with his forehead. Then another and another imitate

. "If old Parr sees them he'll be fur

red them away. His servants disappeared prompt

een. "They looked as if they were praying to yo

ngalow to see about breakfast. When she returned to tell them that it was ready, Dermot hardly recognised in the dainty girl, c

nd her brother listened with interest to his vivid descriptions. A chance remark of Daleham's on the difficulty of obta

lls won't take the work, we have to import the thousands of coolies needed from Chota Nagpur and other

galis?" as

ducated men among them. Why, I discovered by ch

ur clerical work, a

coolie work. Of course we make them heads of ga

tea-garden coolies?" excl

mins, though I don't know much ab

e priestly caste, claim to be semi-divine rather than mere men, will take up professions or clerical wor

u get them

ask for employment them

the district?" asked Dermot, in who

most of them. The older

ted Dermot grimly. "It's

ost. "I daresay it's because our engine

e a Bengali Brahmin

jah of Lalpuri, a native State in Eastern Bengal not far from he

that we came here," said Noreen. "He ga

ace furnishes the extremist and disloyal element in India, and any of them residing on these gardens would be conveniently placed to act as channels of com

manager here?

man name

far from

Yes; a good way. He's a

to see him again. I

the day of our weekly meeting at the club. Will you let me put you up for th

kind of you; but-" b

n joi

Dermot. We'd be de

tle pressing, for the

meet Chunerbutty at dinner then. Yo

ruthfully. He felt that the Bengali engineer m

om ready," said Noreen. "Oh, what

right. I'll send hi

lf?" exclaimed Daleham. "H

wait for me,"

le. The Major went to Badshah, touched him and made him

me there," he said p

, touching his master with his trunk,

watched the animal's

l trained," said Fred. "Now, will you excuse me, sir?

d took up

of the fellows I told you of,"

tton cloth draped round his waist like a divided skirt. His legs were bare except for gay-coloured socks and English boots. Gold-rimmed spectacles completed an appearance as unlike that of the ordinary tea-

m call

say! Co

t of the verandah steps the

that you are a graduate

laamed careles

s, sir. I

is your name?"

n Dass

your education cannot get better em

smiled sup

sir, I can with much facility procure employment of sedentary nature. But for reasons of health I am stringe

rked Dermot, restraining an inclination t

eplied the Ben

your health will improve in t

eplied the Bengali, an

He felt that he had got hold of a thread, howeve

d in that coolie, Major

g to her. "Yes. You see, it is very unusual

ation. The suspicion that he entertained

er guest. Yet she liked him. He impressed her as being a man of strong personality. The fact that-unlike most men that she met-he made no special effort to please her interested her all the mor

this, it was evident that he resented the soldier's presence, partly from racial motives, but chiefly from jealousy over Noreen. He was annoyed at her interest in Dermot and objected to her feeling grateful for her rescue. He tried to make light of t

een's admiration by his self-control. He skilfully steered the conversation to the subject of the Bengalis employed on the estate. The engineer at first denied that there

had left the dining-room. He was starting at an early hour next morning on a long ride

ly peril, there was the consciousness that he was eminently likable in himself. His strength of character, his manliness, the suggestion of mystery about him in his power o

considered her decidedly pretty; but her good looks did not move him much, for he was neither impressionable nor susceptible, and had known too many beautiful women the world over to lose his heart readily. Possib

ng novelty to this isolated community. But in addition Dermot had the claim of old friendship with one of their members, and th

onopolised him after it. Noreen, rather to her own surprise, felt a little indignant at the calm appropriation of her new friend

her outside the building on the pretext of inspecting the future polo ground. In reality it was to afford Dermot an opportunity of disclosing to them as much of the impending peril of invasion as he judged wise. The planters would be the first to suffe

pura until after sundown, and Dermot was persu

ng his elephant's pad. The girl was not surprised, although Fred Daleham was, at Badshah's appearance from the forest in response to a whistle from his master