Dermot, bringing his rifle to the ready, looked past him for the cause of
his flight, but could see no pursuer. He wondered what could have so
alarmed the usually courageous animal. Suddenly the knowledge came to him.
As Badshah rushed towards him with every indication of terror the man saw
that, moving over the ground with an almost incredible speed, a large
serpent came in close pursuit. Even in the open across which Badshah was
fleeing it was actually gaining on the elephant, as with an extraordinary
rapidity it poured the sinuous curves of its body along the earth. It was
evident that, if the chase were continued into the dense undergrowth which
would hamper the animal more than the snake, the latter would prove the
winner in the desperate race.
Dermot recognised the pursuer. From its size and the fact that it was
attacking the elephant it could only be that most dreadful and almost
legendary denizen of the forest, the hamadryad, or king-cobra. All other
big snakes in India are pythons, which are not venomous. But this, the
deadliest, most terrible of all Asiatic serpents, is very poisonous and
will wantonly attack man as well as animals. Badshah had probably disturbed
it by accident--it might have been a female guarding its eggs--and in its
vicious rage it had made an onslaught on him.
The peril of the poisoned tooth is the sole one that a grown elephant need
fear in the jungle, and Badshah seemed to know that only his man could save
him.
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