ards when the huge
creature was upon him. The great uplifted trunk gave one whirl in the
air and descended with force enough to slay an ox. It struck poor
Mildmay on his right side, and, but for the fortunate accident of his
having at that moment tripped and fallen forward, the lieutenant would
there and then have lost the number of his mess. As it was, he was sent
whirling through the air like a cricket-ball, to fall senseless, and
bleeding from the nose and mouth, fully forty feet away. The vindictive
brute instantly turned short off with the evident intention of trampling
his victim to death; but before he could reach the prostrate body a
shell from the colonel's rifle sent him crashing lifeless to the ground.
The remainder of the herd, evidently dismayed at the slaughter of their
companions, now abandoned a half-formed intention which they had at
first manifested to stay and fight it out, and went off in full retreat
with horrible trumpetings of anger and alarm.

The colonel was the first to reach the side of his unfortunate friend,
the professor and the baronet joining him as speedily as their legs
could convey them to the spot. Very fortunately von Schalckenberg,
among his other multitudinous acquirements, possessed a very fair
knowledge of medicine and surgery; and his skilful fingers were soon at
work removing the lieutenant's clothing so far as was necessary to
investigate the nature and extent of his injuries. Singularly enough
these were found to be comparatively trifling, a fractured rib and
several very severe bruises being the sum of them. A little brandy
forced between the lips of the sufferer soon restored him to
consciousness, and he was able to sit up.

On attempting to rise to his feet, however, he experienced such severe
pain that it was then and there resolved to let him remain where he was,
two of his companions also remaining to mount guard over him and see
that he came to no harm; whilst the third was to hurry back with all
speed to the ship and bring her out on to the plain close by the spot
where the accident occurred, when it would be a comparatively easy
matter to convey the lieutenant from the spot where he then lay to his
own bed on board the _Flying Fish_.

The professor, having first made Mildmay as easy and comfortable as
circumstances permitted, volunteered for the service of moving the ship,
explaining to his companions that, in the event of an attack of any
kind, they, as se