Birth of the Calf 27 



appeared on the scene, lean and anxious look- 

 ing, seemingly pressed by hunger, evidently, 

 too, the mother of young 

 cubs whose increasing de- 

 mands for food had to be 

 satisfied. In point of fact 

 the animal was starving: for 

 days she had been unsuccessful in the hunt, and 

 she must eat or die, and with her her helpless 

 family. She had scented the presence of the 

 young calf, and thus it was that nature in its 

 cruelty had ordained that the love of these 

 mothers for their offspring should lead up to a 

 struggle which must end in the slaying of one 

 family, yet resulting in no apparent good. 



The tigress walked slowly round the elephant, 

 continually decreasing the distance between 

 them, her object being to drive off the mother 

 and then kill the defenceless calf. The ele- 

 phant also turned slowly, keeping her head to 

 the foe. Soon the tigress made a rush towards 

 the calf, and was met by a kick from the 

 elephant's hind leg, which staggered her for the 

 moment and made her resume her prowl in the 



