Birth of the Calf 29 



forehead, and the grip relaxed ; again she 

 butted with her full strength, and the enemy 

 fell limply at her feet Then, possessed solely 

 by the fury of battle and of pain, she stamped 

 on the still writhing body, crushing it to a pulp, 

 kicking it till but a muddy mass remained to 

 show her victory. At last, streaming with blood, 

 trembling with excitement, she returned to her 

 calf, feeling it over with her wounded trunk, 

 satisfying herself that it had suffered no harm. 



That evening, the elephant, scarred with 

 many wounds, now plastered with clay to keep 

 off the attacks of flies, rejoined 

 her tribe after many days of 

 danger and tribulation, and felt 

 once more in the safety of 

 home. But the tigress's cubs 

 were calling for their mother, till their feeble 

 cries died away in a whimpering protest as the 

 weakness and pain of starvation gradually 

 overcame them. 



