But he was not quick enough. The tiger bounded at him like a flash and had him by the trunk before he could lift it out of harm’s way.
The driver on the elephant’s neck drew up his legs in a hurry, and the hunters leaned over their box to try and get a shot. But the elephant’s head was in the way, and they could not get a fair sight at the tiger.
As for the poor elephant, he did not at all fancy having a tiger chewing away at his trunk. So he bellowed and floundered about at a great rate, but that did not seem to inconvenience the tiger, who held on like a good fellow.
The other elephants and hunters were coming up, but they did not come fast enough. The elephants seemed to be a little particular about their trunks, and were in no haste to get near the beast that was hanging so grimly to their big brother.
THE TIGER SEIZES THE ELEPHANT BY THE TRUNK.
Then our elephant got tired of this sport. He gave his trunk a swing under him at the same time that he made a step forward.
This brought the tiger just in front of his right foreleg.
Down knelt the elephant with one great knee directly upon the tiger’s body.
The elephant weighed tons, and there was a dead tiger under his knee in less than twenty seconds.