Rama, who was a few yards ahead,
turned and ran past the white man, his face livid. Dermot looked after him
in surprise. The man had dashed back to the little door and was beating on
it madly with his fists. It was opened to admit him and then hastily
closed. The soldier heard the rusty bolts grinding home in their sockets.
Scenting danger and fearing a trap he stood still in the middle of the
courtyard.
The uproar continued and drew nearer. Suddenly it was dominated by a
blood-curdling shriek of agony. Through the wide gateway he saw five or
six men fleeing across the farther courtyard, which was surrounded by a
high wall. Behind them rushed a huge tusker elephant, ears and tail
cocked, eyes aflame with rage. He overtook one man, struck him down with
his trunk, trod him to pulp, and then pursued the others. Some of them,
crazed with terror, tried to climb the walls. The savage brute struck
them down one after another, gored them or trampled them to death.
Three terrified wretches fled through the gateway into the courtyard in
which Dermot was standing. One stumbled and the elephant caught him up. The
demented man turned on it and tried to beat it off with his bare hands.
With a scream of fury the maddened beast drove his blood-stained tusk into
the wretch's body, pitched him aloft, then hurled him to the ground and
gored him again and again.
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