"Yes," said Pardus, "the fat Sahib—I stopped; so did Yellow Leopard, with an angry growl. Then behind I heard a little trumpet from Hathi."
"Not me," exclaimed the big Elephant; "I wasn't there."
"Most surely it is a wondrous lie," declared Magh; "and now he asks Ganesh to say he was there and saw it."
"No, no!" interrupted Sa'-zada, "it was another Elephant."
"Even so," affirmed Pardus; "and on his back was the Raja, coming in great haste.
"'Charge!' roared Yellow Leopard to me, and with a rush that was full of wickedness he went straight for the fat Sahib; and before I knew how it was done, had broken his neck with the hold that we all know so well.
"The Raja, without waiting for Hathi to kneel, jumped from his back, and rushing like the charge of a Sambhur, drove his spear through Yellow Leopard as he still held the Sahib by the throat, and killed him. Well I remember the spear was buried head deep in the ground.
"In fear, I raced back to the mud-caves in which were the Bullocks; and they brought the cage again and put it to the door. But I was afraid to enter till they dropped fire on me from above. Then I was taken back to my old quarters, and in the end sent here to Sa'-zada."
"It's a pity the Sahib was killed," said the Keeper; "it was a horrible death."