366 THE ELEPHANT. 



resolved to ride through the narrow passage formed 

 by the large game, and to take their chance with 

 the elephant, sword in hand, loli, as usual, was 

 the first to lead, and upon his little grey mare he 

 advanced with the greatest difficulty through the 

 entangled thorns, broken by the passage of heavy 

 game ; to the right and left of the passage it was 

 impossible to move. Abou Do had wisely dis- 

 mounted, but Suleiman had followed loli. Upon 

 arriving within a few yards of the elephant, which 

 was invisible in the thick thorns, Abou Do crept 

 forward on foot, and discovered it standing, with 

 ears cocked, evidently waiting for the attack. As 

 loli followed on his light grey mare, the elephant 

 immediately perceived the white colour, and at once 

 charged forward. Escape was next to impossible, 

 loli turned his mare sharp round, and she bounded 

 off; but caught in the thorns, the mare fell, throw- 

 ing her rider in the path of the elephant^ which was, 

 within a few feet behind, in full chase. The mare 

 recovered herself in an instant, and rushed away ; 

 the elephant, attracted by the white colour of the 

 animal, neglected the man, upon whom he trod 

 in the pursuit, thus breaking his thigh. Abou Do, 

 who had been between the elephant and loli, had 

 wisely jumped into the thick thorns, and, as the 

 elephant passed him, he again sprang out behind, 

 and followed with his drawn sword, but too late 

 to save loli, as it was the affair of an instant. 

 Jumping over loli's body, he was just in time to 

 deliver a tremendous cut at the hind leg of the ele- 

 phant, which must otherwise have killed both horses, 



