ders
could urge them on, the immense brute was upon them. One of the
riders, a bold fellow, stood up in the stirrups, and struck at the
"rogue" with his _dah_. But he might as well have struck with a straw.
The monster literally swept the two ponies down in his stride,
trampling them under foot in his frightful charge. The man who had
used his heavy sword to so little effect, went down with his pony. The
second man had leapt from his saddle, and he ran at full speed for a
teak tree, intending to swarm up its trunk.

His flying figure caught the eye of the "rogue" just as he was about
to turn and trample on those he had hurled to the ground. Now the
savage brute strode on, and it was seen how swift was his great
lumbering stride. He caught the man up, long before the fugitive was
anywhere near the tree, and hurled him to the ground with a stroke of
his tusk. Then he pulled up and deliberately knelt down on the unlucky
wretch, who screamed horribly as his life was crushed out of him by
the tremendous weight of the gigantic beast.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE TWO ELEPHANTS.

All this passed directly below Jack's horrified eyes. The pad-elephant
was so frightened at the advent of this savage specimen of his own
species, that he had turned stupid and made no attempt to obey his
driver's orders. Instead, he turned and backed slowly from the place,
keeping his head towards the "rogue." Thus Jack saw the ferocious
brute swiftly crush the life out of the man upon whom he knelt, then
leap up and rush back to the spot where the two ponies and the rider
who had used the _dah_ were still lying on the ground.

The ponies had both been trodden on in that terrific charge, and the
man, untouched by the elephant, had been flung three or four yards,
and lay half-stunned by his fall. As he scrambled to his feet the
"rogue" was upon him. With a scream of rage the maddened brute bent
down his huge head and delivered a sweeping stroke with his tusk. The
great sharp spear of ivory struck the man in the back and was driven
clean through the body. The elephant raised his head and swung the man
high above the ground. Jack shuddered as he saw the writhing figure
impaled on that huge tusk.

For a moment the elephant held his victim aloft as if in triumph, then
with a swing of his head he hurled the man far away, and looked round
for fresh victims. At the next moment the earth shook under his tread
as he thundered down upon the pad-elephant a