366 
THE ELEPHANT. 
resolved to ride through the narrow passage formed 
by the large game, and to take their chance with 
the elephant, sword in hand, loli, as usual, was 
the first to lead, and upon his little grey mare he 
advanced with the greatest difficulty through the 
entangled thorns, broken by the passage of heavy 
game; to the right and left of the passage it was 
impossible to move. Abou Do had wisely dis¬ 
mounted, but Suleiman had followed loli. Upon 
arriving within a few yards of the elephant, which 
was invisible in the thick thorns, Abou Do crept 
forward on foot, and discovered it standing, with 
ears cocked, evidently waiting for the attack. As 
loli followed on his light grey mare, the elephant 
immediately perceived the white colour, and at once 
charged forward. Escape was next to impossible, 
loli turned his mare sharp round, and she bounded 
off; but caught in the thorns, the mare fell, throw¬ 
ing her rider in the path of the elephant, w T hich was, 
within a few feet behind, in full chase. The mare 
recovered herself in an instant, and rushed away; 
the elephant, attracted by the white colour of the 
animal, neglected the man, upon whom he trod 
in the pursuit, thus breaking his thigh. Abou Do, 
who had been between the elephant and loli, had 
wisely jumped into the thick thorns, and, as the 
elephant passed him, he again sprang out behind, 
and followed with his drawm sword, but too late 
to save loli, as it was the affair of an instant. 
Jumping over loli’s body, he was just in time to 
deliver a tremendous cut at the hind leg of the ele¬ 
phant, which must otherwise have killed both horses, 
