My Servant Unharmed 253 



" No : another. We ran quite close to it. You 

 mean to say you didn't see it ? " 



" No : I must confess that I \vas thinking of 

 something else. I thought that I could not run as 

 fast as you could, and that I should be the one the 

 elephant caught. . . ." 



"You did frighten me just now when you were 

 looking for me : you were as white as though you 

 were going to die. But you're all covered with blood, 

 like myself." 1 



" That's nothing, Msiambiri. I'm not yet accus- 

 tomed to being trampled under foot by elephants. 

 But don't let us lose any time : I will call our 

 comrades." 



And while Msiambiri is shaking the earth, sand, 

 and dry leaves from his body, I give the recognised 

 whistle. Soon a similar signal answers, and in five 

 minutes two of my men are by our sides. I explain 

 first of all, in answer to their questions, that our 

 wounds are unimportant. " Come along quickly," 

 Tambarika then says. " As we were coming we saw 

 the elephant enter a thicket. Our companions are 

 watching it. By going this way we shall not be 

 scented. Here is a rifle. We shall have time to look 

 for the others afterwards. Moreover, considering the 

 place where they are, it would be too dangerous we 

 should be charged again." 



Tambarika gives me my Express No. 2, and we 

 return by the route which winds round the thicket. 



1 The scratches and cuts we received all over bled freely. My 

 clothes and Msiainbiri's loin-cloth were in tatters. 



