The Monarch* of the Herd 49 



weapons as yet useless in the fight, clashed 

 together as the opponents met, their sharp 

 points inflicting slight wounds on chest and 

 shoulder, and from these blood slowly trickled, 

 reddening the duellists, whose heated breath 

 rose in mist in the air. There was an intoler- 

 able scent from the bodies of these animals, 

 perceptible even to the gross senses of human 

 beings, and most peculiarly obnoxious to the 

 other jungle tribes ; nor was there any friendly 

 intervention to end the fight, as most usually 

 occurs when deer, cattle, or even birds are 

 engaged in savage warfare. 



In the morning the elephants presented a 

 sorry sight ; the soft, black hides were en- 

 crusted with blood and dust ; the roundness of 

 body and limb had given place to the pro- 

 minence of straining muscles, even the placid 

 fulness of face and trunk was no longer evident ; 

 the bones of the forehead stood out through the 

 tightened skin. The herd-bull was at his last 

 gasp from fatigue, his adversary but in little 

 better plight, but still sustained by the insist- 

 ence of his hot-blooded youth. With a final 



