Number 2 proceeded on his wanderings, resolved in his own mind that if he had an opportunity he would send some one to test the boaster’s strength. No. I called out to him as he moved off—
“Away you go. Good-by to you.”
In a little while Number 2 Elephant met a lion and lioness, full-grown, and splendid creatures, who turned out to be the parents of the youngster which had been slain. After a sociable chat with them, he said:
“If you go further on along the path I came you will meet a kind of game which requires killing badly. He has just mangled your cub.”
Meantime Elephant Number 1, after chuckling to himself very conceitedly, proceeded to the pool near by to bathe and cool himself. At every step he went you could hear his “Ha, ha, ha! loh! I have killed a lion!” While he was in the pool, spurting the water in a shower over his back, he suddenly looked up, and at the water’s edge beheld a lion and lioness who were regarding him sternly.
“Well! What do you want?” he asked. “Why are you standing there looking at me in that way?”
“Are you the rogue who killed our child?” they asked.
“Perhaps I am,” he answered. “Why do you want to know?”
“Because we are in search of him. If it be you that did it, you will have to do the same to us before you leave this ground.”
“Ho! ho!” laughed the elephant loudly. “Well, hark. It was I who killed your cub. Come now, it was I. Do you hear? And if you do not leave here mighty quick, I shall have to serve you both in the same way as I served him.”