A GHASTLY TASK 



The old man did not reply, but from the determined 

 expression on his features, as he set about his gruesome 

 task, at once, we could see that he meant obeying his old 

 master's instructions to the letter. Calling on three of 

 the older and more experienced mahouts to assist 

 him, they quickly added some more branches, and in an 

 incredibly short time had made the platform strong enough 

 for the awful work they had to do. 



How the last dread act was eventually accomplished, 

 we happily did not hear till all was over, for, being unable 

 to relieve the poor beast's suffering, we had, naturally, 

 no desire to witness its sad ending. Accordingly, mounting 

 our respective animals, we left before the men commenced 

 their ghastly task. 



We heard the details later from Pir Bux, who anxious 

 to show that he had carried out his orders, faithfully 

 described the scene, but too graphically to admit of re- 

 petition. Suffice it, then, to say that he had evidently 

 performed his painful duty as expeditiously and humanely 

 as in the circumstances was possible. 



Thus ended the most tragic and painful incident it has 

 ever been my lot to be engaged in, and if I make no apology 

 for having described it at such length, it is only because a 

 calamity of this kind is, happily, so rare that a description 

 may prove of interest as being one of the comparatively 

 unknown perils to which sportsmen, hunting big game 

 on elephants, are liable to be exposed. For quicksands are 

 frequently encountered when out shooting, not only in 

 crossing rivers, but as often in the depths of the vast 

 jungles, where unseen and unsuspected they are most 

 to be feared, and that accidents are rare is due entirely 

 to the sagacity of the elephants, whose instincts, as a rule, 

 warn them and their riders of the danger. 



In the present case, however, the bog happened to have 

 been masked by a fringe of thick jungle, and the animal, 

 tired and heavily burdened, and probably relying on its 

 grass-cutter for guidance, had neglected its customary 

 caution, with the result that it had blundered blindly into 

 it, and sliding downwards at once, was embedded before 

 it had time to withdraw. 



Unfortunately, too, the bog was of the drier hence 



141 



