Part 38 (1/2)
This was evidently enticing the great creature to live. But the voice winged away again:
”Ah, thou heart of my heart, thou life of my life! Hear me, the milk of a thousand goats shall cool thee. The petals of a thousand blooms shall comfort thee. Tuberose and jasmine and champak shall comfort thee, thou Lover of rare things! Nay, it is not enough, but the offerings of the heart's core of love shall satisfy thee--the blood of a million-million blooms shall anoint thee, to thy refreshment!”
The words were lost for a moment, before they rang again:
”Are not the coverings of our heads upon thy wounds? Thou, most excellent in majesty! Have we not laid the symbols of our honour upon thy wounds? Thou, with the wisdom of all ages in thy head and the tenderness of all women in thy heart! We have seen thee suffer, that he who is worthy might live! Thou Discerner of men! We have seen thee destroy the killer, without hurt to him who is kind! Thou Equitable King!”
And slowly out of the shadows of forest trees, came the Chief Commissioner's elephant caravan, trailing in very dejected formation, behind Neela Deo, who showed naked as to his back--for his housings had been stripped off him; and as to his neck, for Kudrat Sharif was not on it but on the ground--walking backward step by step, enticing him with the adoration and sympathy of his voice.
Sanford Hantee saw Neela Deo stop to receive the first garlands on his trunk. From there on, the great elephant paused deliberately after every step to take the offerings of homage from hundreds of reaching hands.
When the American had laid his garlands over Neela Deo's trunk and was about to make his turn in the press, he saw the Chief Commissioner himself, walking behind the wounded elephant with uncovered head.
After a keen glance, the great judge motioned Skag to close in by his side. His strong face was shadowed by deep concern; and for some time he did not speak. This was the man of whom Skag had heard that his name was one to conjure with. His fame was for unfailing equity, which--together with strange powers of discernment and bewildering kindness--had won for him the profound devotion of the people. Skag's thoughts were on these matters when he heard, on a low explosive breath:
”Most extraordinary thing I've ever seen!”
The Englishman's eye scarcely left the huge figure swaying before him and the distress in his face was obvious.
”I see you're greatly concerned,” Skag said gently.
”Well, you understand, I've jolly good right to be--he saved my life!
And he's got a hole in his neck you can put your head into--only it's filled up and covered up with twenty dirty turbans! And by the way, you may not know, but it's unwritten law--past touching--the man in this country never uncovers his head excepting in the presence of his own women. It's more than a man's life is worth to knock another's turban off, even by accident. But look, yonder are the turbans of my caravan--deputies, law-clerks and servants together--on Neela Deo's neck! Their heads are bare before this mult.i.tude and without shame.
What's one to make of it? There's no knowing these people!”
Skag's eye quite unconsciously dropped to the white helmet, carried ceremonially in the hand; and glancing away quickly, he caught a mounting flush on the stern countenance.
Presently the Chief Commissioner spoke again:
”We were coming in on the best trail through a steady bit of really old tree-jungle--Neela Deo leading, as always. We've been out nine weeks from home, among the villages. It's not supposed to be spoken, but a stretch like that is rather a grind. The elephants wanted their own stockades; they were tired of pickets. You understand, they're all thoroughly trained. They answer their individual mahouts like a man's own fingers. Neela Deo is the only elephant I've heard of who has been known to run; I mean, to really run--and then only when he's coming in from too many weeks out.
”Few European men have ever seen an elephant run. Nothing alive can pa.s.s him on the ground but the great snake. I stayed on top of Neela Deo once when he ran home. It was not good sitting. I've never cared for the experience again.
”As the jungle began to open toward Hurda, he was nervous. Of course I should have been more alive to his behaviour--should have made out what was disturbing him. If we lose him, I shall feel very much responsible. But his mahout was easing him with low chants--made of a thousand love-words. They're not bad to think by. I was clear away off in an adjustment of old Hindu and British law--you know we have to use both together; and sometimes they're hard to fit.
”I know no more about how it happened than you do. I was knocked well up out of my abstraction by a most unmerciful jolt. Kudrat Sharif had been raked off Neela Deo's neck and was scrambling to his feet on the ground. In one glimpse I saw his _dothi_ was torn and a long dripping cut on one thigh. He shouted, but I couldn't make it out, because all the elephants were trumpeting to the universe.
”There are always four hunting pieces in the howdah and I reached for the heaviest automatically, leaning over to see whatever it was. There was nothing intelligible in the h.e.l.l of noise and nothing in sight. I tell you, I could not see a hair of any creature under me--but Neela Deo. And don't fancy Neela Deo was quiet this while. My howdah was pitching me to the four quarters of heaven--with no one to tell which next. Six of the hunters had rifles trained on us, but I knew they dared not fire for the fear of hitting me or him. And I'm confident they would be as ready to do the one as the other.
”Then he began swaying from side to side with me. It was a frightful jog at first, but he went more and more evenly, further and further every swing, till I kept myself from spilling out by the sheer grip of my hands. The rifles were knocking about loose.
”At last I was up-ended cornerwise and I thought, on my word, I thought my elephant had turned upside down. A shriek fairly split my head open and Neela Deo was dancing straight up and down on one spot. It was a thorough churning, but it was a change.
”I should say his dance had lasted sixty seconds or more, before he himself spoke; then he put up his trunk and uttered a long strong blast. I've never heard anything like it; in eighteen years among elephants, I've never heard anything like it.
”After that he slowed down and they closed in on him, with weeping and laughter and pandemonium of demonstrations, mostly without meaning to me, till I climbed down and saw the remains of what must have been a prime Bengali tiger--under his feet.
”It had charged his neck and gotten a hold and eaten in for the big blood-drink. It had gripped and clung with its four feet--there are ghastly enough wounds--but the hole it chewed in his neck is hideous.
”He poured blood in a shocking stream till they checked it with some kind of jungle leaves and their turbans. And you see--he's groggy.