The Star of India
Copyright© 2026 by Edward S. Ellis
Chapter 20: A Failure.
Had Dr. Baird Avery and George Harking been alone, they would have felt pleasure in their singular adventure with the elephant, which was bearing them so swiftly away from their friends.
“He’ll get tired after a while,” called out Harkins, “and then maybe we can persuade him to change his course.”
“Yes, but we can’t afford to wait until he reaches some point on the other side of Kurnal: why can’t he turn now, when it will do some good?”
And the surgeon threw his whole might into a number of gesticulations meant to reach the understanding of the brute.
The huge animals are capable of great speed, as the one ridden by our friends proved. The night was still, but the air fanned the faces of the two, who knew they were carried at a gait nearly equal to that of a running horse.
There was danger in dismounting at such a time, though should it become necessary, neither would hesitate to run the risk of receiving some severe bruises.
The report of a gun was heard behind them, followed by a shrill cry.
“They are pursuing us,” said Harkins, looking back in the moonlight; “they have missed the elephant, and are chasing him on horseback.”
“I’m afraid this enterprise is not a success,” replied the doctor; “the beast has found out that the mahout is not here with his sharp goad, and he doesn’t catch on to what we are trying to tell him: we had better jump.”
“He is going so fast that we are likely to be hurt; is an elephant very long winded?”
“Not specially so.”
“He isn’t likely to keep this gait much longer, and when he moderates it we will slip off.”
The strange cry from the rear was repeated. It must have been a call to the elephant which he recognized, for he stopped so short that the consequences to those on his back were disastrous.
Dr. Avery, who was in the howdah, was leaning over, the better to talk with Harkins, who was astride the neck of the animal. Like a flash he shot out of the saddle, describing a complete somersault. Providentially he landed on his feet, much shaken but unharmed.
Harkins grasped the edge of the howdah just in time to save himself from going off. Confused as to what had become of his companion, he clung to the support, and the elephant, swinging about like the rapid turning of a bridge, started down the road with greater speed than before.
It was now a question whether Harkins was running away with the elephant or whether the latter was making off with him. Neither had any control over the other.
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