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Updated: July 16, 2025
Then a master-mahout from High Himalaya went alone to the centre of the disk and in incomparable tones such as master-mahouts use having no accompaniment at all, told the story of Neela Deo's birthright. The people were utterly hushed; but the elephants kept their even pace as if listening. Then the great chorus came back, rendering the acknowledgment of a human race.
Presently the Chief Commissioner spoke again: "We were coming in on the best trail through a steady bit of really old tree-jungle Neela Deo leading, as always. We've been out nine weeks from home, among the villages. It's not supposed to be spoken, but a stretch like that is rather a grind. The elephants wanted their own stockades; they were tired of pickets.
When the American had laid his garlands over Neela Deo's trunk and was about to make his turn in the press, he saw the Chief Commissioner himself, walking behind the wounded elephant with uncovered head. After a keen glance, the great judge motioned Skag to close in by his side. His strong face was shadowed by deep concern; and for some time he did not speak.
Then he raced away and came back on a full drive, as if meaning to meet the King in a legitimate encounter after all. But Neela Deo only lowered his head a fraction, leaning a bit forward; and the pale one, instead of finishing straight, or passing alongside close enough to strike swerved out.
"There are always four hunting pieces in the howdah and I reached for the heaviest automatically, leaning over to see whatever it was. There was nothing intelligible in the hell of noise and nothing in sight. I tell you, I could not see a hair of any creature under me but Neela Deo. And don't fancy Neela Deo was quiet this while.
The mahouts had planned it in sheer boyishness; and to their mountain hearts it meant something like the clown-play in a western circus. Its success depended on whether Neela Deo had enough foolishness in him to play the game. So now they wheeled the elephants into their stations again, just in time before one section of the enclosure folded down flat on the ground.
Now the elephants of the Chief Commissioner's stockades gave account of themselves. Youth had returned to them courage had been restored. They clamoured to heaven that they were doing well. They shouted to the universe that they belonged to him to Neela Deo, their King! Sanford Hantee scarcely saw an impossible thing Carlin on Mitha Baba's neck!
Neela Deo was barely in on the sanded disk, when the elephants lifted their heads as one and saluted him with an earth-rocking blast; again and yet again. Then he thrust his head forward, reached his trumpet-tip quivering before him and made speed till he came close to the Chief Commissioner's place, where he rendered one soft salute and wheeled into position by the stand.
Kudrat Sharif salaamed again; and Neela Deo lifted him to his great neck and carried him away. Walking home, Horace expressed himself to his friend as the heart of a boy may be expressed; and Skag dropped his arm about the slender shoulders, speaking softly: "Remember, son, a little more would have been too much." "All right, Skag Sahib, because now you understand; but isn't he interesting?"
Neela Deo's first blow had shaken the pale one, carrying a different dimension of force from any in himself. He gave way backing from it with an angry scream, showing surprise and rage in every movement.
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