Oakwood for advice and saw that the Boy
King was facing the danger manfully.

Raising the heavy gun to his shoulder, Dick was taking a steady aim at
the animal's eye. It was a desperate chance. Only one shot with a
clumsy old-fashioned gun and if that missed, all was over.

To Dan it seemed like an hour, as Dick held the bead on the infuriated
monster, but it was only a second. Then Dick squeezed the trigger,
there followed a sharp click--and that was all. The gun had missed
fire.

"Good night!" gasped Dan. "This is our finish. Now they'll charge us,
and we'll be trampled into the mud."

But just as the herd swayed forward in a clumsy attack, the even voice
of the Mahatma sounded among the tribesmen.

"Stand fast! Fear nothing!"

Once more the wise Hindu sent his thoughts straight to their minds by
his mysterious power and at the same time he used his occult skill upon
the furious brutes. Some nameless fear struck the leader of the herd
as the Mahatma exerted his mystic forces.

The rage of the bull elephant changed instantly to wild terror. Trunk
aloft, he trumpeted shrilly, and wheeled about in flight.

The herd caught the panic.

At once the great animals crashed blindly through the jungles,
flattening the saplings and tearing loose the clinging vines as they
fled.

They were stampeding in the direction of the Muta-Kunga camp and
beating a trail for the warriors faster than the hatchet-men could have
cleared it.

Dick Oakwood cocked his gun and pulled the trigger, aiming at the
retreating herd. This time there was no miss-fire. The gun roared
like a young cannon.

"Tahara hal!" went up a great shout from Raal, as he leaped forward.
His tribesmen followed, brandishing their weapons and echoing the war
cry: "_Tahara, hal!_"

To Raal and his men this was one more proof of the Boy King's
superhuman power.

Mutaba and his Kungoras took up the chase, yelling fiercely and hurling
insults at the fleeing elephants.

Now there was no further need of caution for the Muta-Kungas were
warned of a coming battle. All that the invaders had to do was to race
forward, and at their top speed it was not possible to catch up with
the herd. Clumsy as they appeared, the elephants were capable of
moving fast, and now urged by fear, they tore through the jungle like a
freight train.

The trumpeting of the elephants, the terrified chatter of monkeys in
the trees, and birds, startled by the confusion, raised