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He was larger in frame than Gunpat Rao; but very lean long, loose-jointed. He moved like a suckling trying to caper. But there was a rakish look about him. In spite of all their own stress every one of their elephants being in some degree of jeopardy the mahouts gave as much attention to Gunpat Rao as they could. It was foregone conclusion he was doomed.
Not until this instant did Skag realise that a Chief Commissioner had the flower of England to pick his deputies from, and had made no mistake in this man. . . . A moment later, Nels had been given preliminary instruction, and Skag was lifted, with a playful flourish of the trunk, by Gunpat Rao himself, into the light hunting howdah.
"Who says there is none other than Neela Deo?" A thread of silver stretched before them, crossing the line of their course. It broadened in a man's breath. They turned the curve of the last slope, and heard the shout of the mahout far ahead. The thief elephant was running along Nerbudda's margin to a ford. A roar was about Skag's head and shoulders like a storm Gunpat Rao trumpeting again!
Something in her face held him utterly something of wisdom, something of dread if one could, imagine a fear founded on knowledge. . . . A brilliant mid-afternoon. Bhanah and Nels had gone to the stockades. Since the chase and rescue of Carlin, Nels and the young elephant Gunpat Rao were becoming friends peculiar dignities and untellable reservations between them but undoubtedly friends.
Gunpat Rao was one of the finest young elephants in captivity; one of the swiftest in the caravan; but the mahouts knew he could not think a trick! The sense of his danger swept them. The Gul Moti knew that "white elephants" are always feared being almost always bad. This one was not white; nor grey, nor yellow. He was whitish-grey dull-tawny overcast unclean looking.
Still others came to meet him; yet his challenges were triumphant to the point of frenzy. "Call on the gods! The devil is in!" rang out. Gunpat Rao was now fighting for his life. The "tricky elephant" had charged him from the open. This was the bad one whom the mahouts had recognised on sight had feared from the beginning.
He was manoeuvring to strike Gunpat Rao back of his ear! He was trying to "hit below the belt!" So Gunpat Rao was kept pivoting in his own tracks to face the danger, with scant room to meet a rush when it came. And always it came when least suggested by the other's manner. Then the pale one squealed a succession of thin, cutting tones and Gunpat Rao answered with a charge.
With passionate distress they saw the King wounded almost to death less than four months since carrying a heavy howdah and three men going in to fight with a bad elephant who was all but fresh. They cursed the wild elephant with every inward breath, seeing as little hope for Neela Deo as they had seen for Gunpat Rao. The Gul Moti watched appalled.
Chakkra was also in place, when the Deputy waved his hand with the remark: "Oh, I say, I'd be glad of the chase, myself, but an official, you know, . . . and Lord, what a dog!" The last was as Nels swung around in front of Gunpat Rao's trunk as if formally to remark: "You see we are to travel together to-day."
The pale one's behaviour was entirely different from any the Gul Moti had seen. He was doing nothing regular not using the common methods at all. He was giving Gunpat Rao no chance to get back to put his body-weight into his drive. He was staying too close. He was circling starting to rush in and veering away round and round, in and out. Then the Gul Moti saw!
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