28 The Life of an Elephant 



hope of finding some better opening for attack. 

 The duel proceeded in silence, and gradually an 

 arena was formed in the forest, a circle of 

 trampled grass where no concealment was 

 possible. Several times the tigress made on- 

 slaughts, only to be repulsed, and, at the last, 

 savage at her ill-success, she bounded at the 

 elephant's head, clasping her with armed fore- 

 paws, burying her fangs in the soft flesh at the 

 base of the trunk ; scratching wildly at fore-legs 

 with her hind claws, hoping that she could drag 

 the elephant to earth and inflict such painful 

 injuries that she would desert her young. The 

 elephant flinched under the attack, and then 

 stood firm. Maddened with pain and fear she 

 knelt and tried to crush the adversary with her 

 weight, but the tigress held firmly, and, with 

 the purchase gained, pulled violently to one 

 side in the attempt to throw the elephant. She, 

 despairing, rose to her feet, rushed blindly 

 forward in the desire to get rid of this rending, 

 biting torment, and so by good fortune hurled 

 herself full against the stem of a stout tree. 

 She felt the tigress crushed against her bony 



