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But I don't know just what you're going to see the ones who ought to handle him are all gone." The master-mahout's voice was rising up into the vault of heaven and falling over upon the horizon. It seemed to Skag the like was never heard before. "He's calling the two big tuskers back," Horace chuckled, "but there'll be doings on before they get here! Will you listen to Nut Kut's challenge?"
Nut Kut, who had already made his reputation as the most deadly fighter known to the mahouts, was exulting in strength. It was his joy-song. It came from straight ahead. Mitha Baba answered with a rollicking squeal. But the wild herd voices were savage chaotic. Now Nut Kut's challenge came back looming. The situation was no longer absurd.
"It is my shame that there is no howdah on him to carry you; we came like flight, when Nut Kut's escape was known," Kudrat Sharif apologised. "But after some days, when Nut Kut's excitement sleeps, we shall be distinguished if Son-of-Power chooses to come to the stockades and consider him.
When the caravan appeared, the males were leading; the four females well in the rear. Nut Kut's flaming orange and imperial-blue trappings covered and cumbered him; and young Gunpat Rao's gorgeous saffron and old-rose burned through the Gul Moti's eyes to the hard lump in her throat it was the one time in their lives when they should be free.
The hardware had chafed him all day and had only been really forgotten in the stresses of action. "I didn't pack that gun for tiger," he said softly. "Why, I would as soon have shot our good Arab, Kala Khan, or put a bullet between Nut Kut's eyes, as to stop that big fellow bringing young mutton home to please her! Won't Carlin love to hear that! Oh, yes, it's been a day, son, one more day!
Skag turned toward Horace, who was drawing a fine looking native forward by the hand. The boy spoke with repressed excitement otherwise showing no sign of Nut Kut's strenuous handling: "Skag Sahib, I want you to know Kudrat Sharif, the malik of the Chief Commissioner's elephant stockades. It is not known, you understand meaning my father but the malik has always been very wonderful to me."
Nut Kut had seen Horace and was coming straight for him. Skag leaped to meet Nut Kut first, but he couldn't catch the elephant's eye. The huge shape was upon him and he was flung aside. Recovering himself almost instantly, he got around in time to see but not in time to prevent. Horace lifted both arms and leaned forward his grey eyes gone black as Nut Kut's trunk caught him.
Ram Yaksahn, his mahout whose voice had not been heard before cried out; and Mitha Baba went in like a thunder-bolt. How it happened no one could tell, but one of the wild elephants before Mitha Baba's rush, or in the instant when she reached him caught his tusk under Nut Kut's side-bands. They were made of heavy canvas, with chains on top.
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