gone old.

The pale one's behaviour was entirely different from any the Gul Moti had
seen. He was doing nothing regular--not using the common methods at all.
He was giving Gunpat Rao no chance to get back--to put his body-weight
into his drive. He was staying too close. He was circling--starting to
rush in and veering away--round and round, in and out. Then the Gul Moti
saw! He was manoeuvring to strike Gunpat Rao back of his ear! He was
trying to "hit below the belt!"

So Gunpat Rao was kept pivoting in his own tracks to face the danger,
with scant room to meet a rush when it came. And always it came when
least suggested by the other's manner. Then the pale one squealed--a
succession of thin, cutting tones--and Gunpat Rao answered with a charge.
The pale one raced away from him, wheeling suddenly and coming in behind
his head. (An instant before, it looked as if they would meet fairly.)
But Gunpat Rao, being in full drive and not on guard against such a
manoeuvre, could not stop quickly; yet he swerved just enough to clear
that yellow tusk--with a long slash in his flank! . . . Gunpat Rao began
to show that he was baffled. His trunk came around--feeling of Chakkra!

"He wants Neela Deo! His heart is alone!" Chakkra cried out.

"Pray the gods to send Neela Deo!" the mahouts answered together.

And from the khud-wall behind them, a thundering challenge rolled down.
It was like an avalanche of dynamic power.

Now the elephants of the Chief Commissioner's stockades gave account of
themselves. Youth had returned to them--courage had been restored. They
clamoured to heaven that they were doing well. They shouted to the
universe that they belonged to him--to Neela Deo, their King!

Sanford Hantee scarcely saw--an impossible thing--Carlin on Mitha Baba's
neck! Her face was actually strange--the awful pallor--the fire. It
left his brain a blank to other impressions, for minutes.

The Gul Moti only glimpsed the stone-white face of her American, beside
the Chief Commissioner, as Neela Deo charged past, on his way to take
over the fight that was taxing Gunpat Rao to the last breath before
defeat. Neela Deo had seen at once where he was needed most. He went in
with a charging challenge that was intoxication to those who heard--all
the assurance of ancient mastership in it.

No one had ever seen Neela Deo fight before. Kudrat Sharif was so
astonished that he barely got back from his neck in time to be out