TIGERLAND 



As it was useless to follow him there, we decided to 

 employ the morning in beating through some grass, on 

 the chance of finding him lying up there. But the cover 

 was too extensive, and after a few hours the attempt was 

 given up as hopeless, and, returning to the starting point, 

 the elephants were sent back to the camp, while we, re- 

 mounting our ponies, rode on to inspect a distant village. 



About four o'clock in the evening we were riding back 

 to camp, and, as we neared the tents, saw a crowd of 

 people running in our direction, shouting as they ran, and 

 evidently much excited. Above the din they were creating 

 could occasionally be heard the words " Mardalla ! " 

 " Mardalla ! " signifying that some one had been killed ; 

 and presently an elephant without pad or rider was seen 

 following closely on the crowd. 



Taking in the situation at a glance, we urged our 

 ponies forward, and riding through the panic-stricken 

 throng, placed ourselves between it and the animal. The 

 movement, as was anticipated, checked the beast's advance, 

 and, standing irresolute for a moment, it went off to one 

 side, revealing as it turned the huge proportions of the 

 " Budmash," with a chain attached to one of its hind legs 

 trailing on. the ground. The fact of the chain having a 

 picket at the end of it, and that the animal was riderless, 

 afforded some explanation of what had taken place, and 

 its mahout, who formed one of the crowd, soon supplied 

 the rest. 



It appeared that the elephants on their return to camp, 

 had been divested of their trappings, and while they were 

 being tied up for the night, the " Budmash " had made a 

 sudden attack upon its grass-cutter, who was at the 

 moment stooping down in front of it, fastening its fore 

 feet. The man managed to jump out of its reach, and ran 

 towards a bamboo clump for shelter, but the animal 

 straining at its picket, soon tore it from the ground, and 

 followed in pursuit. The terrified attendant, on reaching 

 the clump, attempted to force his way into it, but before 

 he could accomplish this the elephant was upon him, and 

 with one sweep of its trunk dashed him to the ground. 

 Stunned by the violence of the fall, the man lay motion- 

 less for a while, and, had he remained so, might possibly 

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