and, Mukna suddenly made up his mind _to do it
now_!

Mukna gave just one short trumpet. The next instant he gave a vicious
tug with his hind leg--and snapped the chain! With a huge stride he came
toward the American and the royal party. He would "do it" now! _He would
kill them all!_

Nothing could stop him from doing it, it seemed. He would knock them
down and trample them to death.

But meanwhile the elephant master had heard the trumpet Mukna had given
a moment before he broke the chain. And in an instant the elephant
master realized what would happen.

"Run for your lives!" he shouted to the young American and the four
princes. And he ran himself.

But an elephant can run much faster than any man. It seemed that nothing
could save those six men; they would all be trampled to death. The only
direction in which they could run was toward the middle of the open
space--away from Mukna. Even if they reached it, they would still have
to run toward the trees on the far side. Could they reach the trees in
time? No! Mukna was gaining upon them. It seemed that in a few more
strides Mukna would hurl himself upon them, and there was nobody to stop
him.

But yes--there was!

For meanwhile, just as the elephant master had heard the trumpet Mukna
had given, all the thirty bull elephants had also heard it. Most of them
were too far off, near the line of trees; but there happened to be a
bull a little nearer the middle of the open space. He saw at once that
he could not overtake Mukna, if he merely chased him. So, how could he
stop Mukna from murdering the six men?

I shall tell you. This is what that bull elephant did. As soon as the
men had started running, he saw in what direction they were going. So he
turned slightly, and ran also _in that direction_. As Mukna gained
upon the men, he too came nearer and nearer to the men.

[Illustration: Good Elephant Heading off a Criminal Elephant]

Mukna had come within three yards of the young American and the reigning
prince, who were running together. "Now I have got them!" Mukna must
have thought. One more stride, and he would trample them to death!

But that instant the other bull elephant also ran close up to the two
men--and hurled himself _between_ Mukna and the two men.

Mukna's blow fell upon the bull elephant's side, and knocked him down.
But Mukna tripped over him, and also fell. The two elephants rolled over
and over upon the ground.

Meanwhile the young America