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A whistle brought the elephant to him, and, hoisting the deer on to the pad, he fastened it to the surcingle. Then, grasping the elephant's ears, he was lifted to his place on the neck. Turning Badshah's head towards home he started off; but, as he went, he looked back at the trampled glade and thanked Heaven that his body was not lying there, crushed and lifeless. "How beautiful!
The shock staggered the murderous brute and almost knocked it to the ground. Only the fact of its having turned slightly at Badshah's cry, so that his tusk inflicted a somewhat slanting blow, had saved it from a mortal wound. Before it could recover its footing Badshah gored it again.
Frank drew his pistol; but Muriel clung to his arm and cried: "Oh, spare the poor wretch!" Tashi had no scruples, but his magazine was empty and he searched in vain for a cartridge. But Yuan Shi Hung's time had come. Badshah's trunk shot out and caught the climber's ankle. The Chinaman was plucked from the face of the cliff and hurled to the ground.
Noreen watched him with curiosity and marvelled at his courage in handling the dead bodies. He returned to the kneeling elephant and took his place on the neck. "Hold on now, Miss Daleham," he said. "Badshah's going to rise. Uth" Noreen gripped the surcingle rope tightly as the elephant heaved up his big body and set off along a track through the jungle at a rapid pace.
Much as he knew of the jungle he had never dreamt of this. In Central Indian villages he had been told legends of lost children being adopted by wolves. But for elephants to admit a man into their herd was beyond belief. That it was due to Badshah's affection for him was little less remarkable than the fact itself. For it opened up the question of the animal's extraordinary power over his kind.
While he was thus employed Badshah strayed away into the jungle to graze, for elephants feed incessantly. When Dermot had finished his unpleasant task, it still remained to bind the buck's legs together and tie him on to Badshah's back. For this he would need cords; but he relied on the inexhaustible jungle to supply him with these.
Next morning Dermot took from the pockets of Badshah's pad the dresses and other things that they needed for their disguises, and instead of replacing the pad concealed it carefully. The wild elephants were feeding all around, paying no heed to them. The Colonel turned to Badshah and pointing to the ground said one word: "Raho!
With a grim determination to follow her abductors even to Punaka, the capital of Bhutan, he swung his leg across Badshah's neck and set out, having bade Chunerbutty inform Daleham and the planters that he had started in pursuit. The raiders had left the garden by a path leading to the north and headed for the mountains.
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."
"Oh, merely an uncomplimentary remark about Badshah and me," he replied. The girl made another attempt to rise and succeeded with his assistance. He lifted her on to Badshah's pad and went over to examine the dead men. After his first casual glance at the wearer of shoes he knelt down and looked closely into the face of the corpse. Then he pulled open the single garment.
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