II 
THE ELEPHANT 
71 
and the eyes shone like two green electric lights, as 
the sun s rays reflected from them, but his huge 
body was dripping with muddy water, as he had 
been reclining upon the alluvial bottom. 
“Now’s the time,” whispered the over-eager 
mahout. “You can kill him to a certainty. Fire, 
or he’ll be gone in another moment.” 
“ Keep quiet, you fool, and don’t move till I tell 
you.” For quite a minute the tiger sat up in the 
same position ; at last, as though satisfied that he 
was in safety and seclusion, he once more lay down 
with only the head and neck exposed above the 
surface. 
“ Back the elephant gently, but do not turn 
round,” I whispered. Immediately Nielmonne 
backed through the feathery tamarisk without the 
V slightest sound, and we found ourselves outside the 
jungle. We could breathe freely. 
“ Go on now, quite gently, till I press your head ; 
then turn to the right, descending through the 
tamarisk, till I again touch your puggery ” (turban). 
I counted the elephant’s paces as she moved 
softly parallel with the jungle, until I felt sure of my 
distance. A slight pressure upon the mahout’s 
head, and Nielmonne turned to the right. The 
waving plumes of the dark-green tamarisk divided 
as we gently moved forward, and in another moment 
we stopped. There was the tiger in the same 
position, exactly facing me, but now about 75 paces 
distant. 
“ Keep the elephant quite steady,” I whispered ; 
