ATTACKED BY A WILD ELEPHANT 



very thought of her position was agony to him, and, 

 yielding to despair, he burst into a flood of tears. 



Travelling all day, the party arrived by nightfall at a 

 small clearing in the forest, and decided to encamp there 

 for the night. They lost little time in preparations, but, 

 making a hasty meal off the provisions they had brought, 

 secured their prisoner to a tree and laid themselves down to 

 sleep. 



One of their number, told off to guard the prisoner, 

 watched by the fire awhile, but, tired and sleepy as the rest, 

 he, too, was soon asleep. Pembu would fain have followed 

 his example, but the pain of his bonds, added to the mental 

 torture he endured, kept him awake. He might easily 

 have escaped ; indeed, the idea occurred to him but 

 where was he to go ? 



Hour after hour dragged wearily on ; the fire, uncared 

 for, had burnt slowly down, its dying embers casting a 

 faint and ghost-like light upon the scene. Save for the 

 deep breathing of the sleeping men, there was not a sound 

 to break the silence of the night, and the lonely prisoner, 

 yielding to the influence of his surroundings, at last 

 dropped off to sleep. 



It was a curious sight, this group of unarmed, helpless 

 men sleeping peacefully in that dense trackless forest, all 

 unmindful of the dangers that encompassed them all but 

 one, who, preferring a safer spot, had selected a small 

 grass-grown mound some six feet high. 



The night went by, and the first grey light of dawn was 

 showing faintly through the trees when suddenly a 

 succession of sharp, clear notes, as of a trumpet sounding 

 the alarm, broke the death-like stillness. The sleepers 

 started to their feet and listened. Again that dreaded 

 sound was heard, now much nearer. Then, ere the last 

 note of it had ceased, a huge elephant emerged into the 

 open. With trunk upraised and ears pricked forward he 

 paused awhile, trying to locate the spot whence proceeded 

 the scent he had detected. Then with a savage scream of 

 rage he charged down upon the helpless group. But they 

 had anticipated the attack, and before the furious beast 

 could span the distance that divided them, had already 

 gained the shelter of the trees. There was no one left 



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