"I must leave," was his sensible conclusion.
The elephant showed a desire to help him. The position of the saddle, its size and elevation were such that he could not reach the interloper with his trunk, so he made at full speed for a large tree alongside the road.
The sagacious animal meant to dislodge him by scraping off the whole howdah. When that came tumbling to the earth, Mr. Harkins would be likely to go too. And that explains why the brute made for the branches like a runaway locomotive.
With all his natural shrewdness the rider did not suspect the elephant's purpose in time to save himself. The first that he saw and felt was the switching of the branches about his face and then the scraping, sawing and banging of the heavy limbs. Almost at the same instant he saw the howdah was going.
Amid the general wreck and crash his actions were governed by that instinct which guides one when he knows he is struggling for life.
One of his outstretched hands seized a strong branch. The rifle which he grasped with the other was an encumbrance, but he was able to hold on while the howdah passed from under him and crashed to the ground. The elephant, never ceasing his ponderous progress, lumbered down the road, caring nothing for the wreck he left behind.
Harkins easily held himself by means of the strong limb which he had grasped, and, drawing himself up among the branches, where the leaves sheltered him from sight, he waited to learn what the pursuers—who were but a short distance away—would do. Indeed, they were so near that the Englishman saw they numbered five horsemen.
Naturally they were in no very amiable mood. Having stopped the runaway, they turned him back to the tree, where an inventory of damages was taken.
While the natives were making the inspection they gave constant expression to their anger. They called the elephant all kinds of bad names, and even abused his ancestors, thereby plainly slurring the purity of his descent. The big beast took it all meekly, probably aware that his conduct deserved such reproach.
It is not to be supposed that any of the pursuers suspected the presence of the cowen in the limbs above. Most likely they believed the elephant had taken a whim to run away on his own account. Had they known the guilty Feringhee was perched above their heads, they would have been quick to visit their vengeance upon him.