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"A good shot of yours, Wargrave," remarked Colonel Dermot, when Badshah had advanced to the prostrate animal. "Broke its shoulder and pierced the heart." Frank looked down pityingly at the pretty little deer stretched lifeless among the ferns. "It seems a shame to slaughter a harmless thing like that," he said.
This was so evident that Frank felt no fear even when they closed in on Badshah and touched him with their trunks. Dermot, smiling at his companion's amazement, said: "This is Badshah's old herd, Wargrave, and they're used to him and me. I've come in search of them, for it is by their aid that I propose to enter Bhutan."
A crashing in the clump of hill bamboos at their feet attracted their attention; and with a smile he pointed down to the great elephant with the single tusk who was dragging down the feathery plumes with his curving trunk. But Noreen looked up at Dermot again and said: "I love you more than even Badshah does." And their lips met. A Selection from the Catalogue of
"We are saved, sahib," he said with the calm fatalism of the East. "The God of the Elephants has sent them." And he limped out from behind the rocks. The two Europeans followed him. Their foes had disappeared, all but the dead and wounded. Badshah for it was he swerved out of his course and came to them, while the herd went on, opening out to pass him as he sank to his knees before the humans.
I know that you must be eager to get back home and relieve your brother's anxiety. But Badshah has been going for many hours on end and has not delayed to graze on the way, so it would be wise to give him a rest and a feed." "Yes, indeed," said the girl. "He thoroughly deserves it." She was not unwilling that the time spent in Dermot's company should be prolonged.
But they came across no elephants; and Frank noted the fact despairingly as rendering even less probable a meeting with Badshah and his herd.
An hour later the two women watched the snaking line crawl up the steep face of the mountains, and through field-glasses they could distinguish Badshah with his master on his neck, the Deb Zimpun and his followers and the tall form of the Chinaman, until all vanished from sight in the trees clothing the upper hills.
But his companion lay tranquilly on the pad. "It's all right. It's only a tiger that's missed his spring and is angry about it," he said sleepily. "Lie down again." "Only a tiger, sir?" repeated Wargrave. "But it sounded close by." "Yes, but Badshah will look after us. Don't worry"; and the Colonel turned over and fell asleep.
Slinging his rifle he climbed on to the pad; and Badshah rose and went swiftly along a track that seemed to Dermot to lead towards Malpura. He did not attempt to guide the elephant, but placed himself so that his body would shield the girl from the danger of being struck by overhanging boughs.
Dermot briefly related all that had happened. When he told her of his dispute with Badshah about the route to be followed and how the elephant proved to be in the right she cried enthusiastically: "Oh, the dear thing! He's just the most wonderful animal in the world. Forgive me for interrupting. Please go on." When he had finished his tale there was silence between them for a little.
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