It was plain enough that the great animal was growing more and more uneasy, necessitating constant talking to on the part of the mahout, who spoke sometimes caressingly, at others angrily, and using his goad afterward, as he threatened tremendous punishment and deprivation of all good if his charge did not behave.
"He thinks old Sul means to rush off home as hard as he can go," observed Phra.
"And if he does he'll soon waggle the tiger off his back, won't he,
Sree? The tiger must come off if Sul rushes away?"
"I fear so, Sahib. Ah, the tigress must be very near now. Look at
Sul's ears."
"She must be slinking along through the grass on this side," said
Harry.
"Yes, Sahib; that is where she is, but I don't think she will attack us."
"Shall we send a shot or two in amongst the grass?" said Phra.
"No, Sahib; that would make her come on, and one tiger is enough for to-day."
"Yes, quite," said Phra. "Let's go faster and see if the tiger will stop on."
He said a word or two, and the mahout spoke to the elephant, who wanted no urging, but stretched out in that long, shuffling movement which seems nothing, but goes over enough ground to make a horse use plenty of speed to keep up with it.