"Shall I see her trampled to death before my eyes, without making an effort to save her!" exclaimed Isa Dás.
He shouted at the top of his voice, but the elephant did not turn. Isa Dás could do nothing for the girl, unless he could draw the wild beast's attention upon himself. But to descend from his tree would be like courting certain death. There were but few moments for thought; but in these few moments Isa Dás recalled the Saviour's words, "We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." With another, yet louder, shout, Isa Dás dropped down from the branch on which he had mounted, and, taking up a stone, flung it with such force and good aim that it rebounded from the monster's tough hide!
The blow did not injure, but it was enough to divert the attention of the elephant to another victim. Leaving the girl, whom he had almost overtaken, the beast turned and rushed straight at Isa Dás, who had no time to mount again into his tree. He felt that he had saved the maiden's life at the cost of his own.
On came the monster at furious speed. Isa Dás's brain reeled; he was conscious of being struck to the earth; he saw the huge uplifted trunk waving above him,— the enormous head descending with deadly force! Then there was the loud report of a gun. The elephant had been struck in the vulnerable part just over the eye, and the bullet had entered the brain. With a scream of pain and rage, he rolled over on his side, and lay a helpless, quivering mass on the plain!
"Alas! I have come too late to save my poor servant!" cried a voice, which was that of Mr. Madden, who now came up with his gun. "I saw the monster strike the poor fellow to the ground!"
It was almost with the astonishment with which he would have beheld a corpse restored to life that Mr. Madden saw Isa Dás rise to his feet, bruised and shaken, indeed, but without a broken bone, or a scratch on his skin.
"This is a miracle!" exclaimed the Englishman.
Isa Dás pointed to the spot where he had lain; two deep holes in the soil showed where the elephant's tusks had entered on either side of his body!
"A hair's-breadth escape, indeed!" cried Mr. Madden. "I gave you up for lost."
"I gave myself up for lost," said Isa Dás; "I had scarcely time to commend my soul unto God; but praised be He who can save to the uttermost both body and soul!"