The first black shook his head.
“That elephant has must.”
“Must what?” asked Dobbin.
The blacks then explained to him that must is the word for a strange madness that sometimes attacks elephants. They then become like maniacs and destroy everything that comes in their way.
At such times elephants are the most dangerous animals in the world.
One of the blacks ran to the top of a low knoll near the river’s edge and immediately hurried back crying:
“It’s a big bull and he’s coming straight for this spot.”
“By Jove! Yes!” cried one of the white employees. “You can tell by the marks around here that this is an elephant’s ford. They are in the habit of coming here, and we are in their way.”
The men hustled the donkeys on to the rafts and one was pushed off from shore with most of the party aboard.
Dobbin ran up to Trim, who was sleeping peacefully, and shook him.