the trees again towards the
tunnelled entrance, and the hundreds of other elephants followed him in
file. In a few minutes Dermot found himself plunged into darkness once
more, and the Valley of Death had disappeared.

When they had passed through the tunnel, the elephants slipped and stumbled
down the rock-encumbered ravines, for elephants are far less sure-footed in
descent than when ascending. But they travelled at a much faster pace,
being no longer hampered by the presence of the old and decrepit beasts. It
seemed to take only a comparatively short time to reach the valley between
the two mountain ranges. And here they stopped to feed and rest.

When morning came, Dermot found that the big assembly of elephants was
breaking up into separate herds of which it was composed. The greater
number of these moved off to the east and north, evidently purposing to
remain for a time in Bhutan, where the young grass was springing up in the
valleys as the lower snows melted. Only three herds intended to return to
India with Badshah, of which the largest, consisting of about a hundred
members, seemed to be the one to which he particularly belonged.

During the descent from the mountains into the Terai, Dermot wondered what
would happen with Badshah when they reached the forest. Would the elephant
persist in remaining with the herd or would it return with him to the
_peelkhana_?

Night had fallen before they had got clear of the foothills, so that
when they arrived in the jungle once more they halted to rest not far
from the mountains. When Dermot awoke next morning he found that he and
Badshah were alone, all the others having disappeared, and the animal
was standing patiently awaiting orders. He seemed to recognise that his
brief hour of authority had passed, and had become once more his usual
docile and well-disciplined self. At the word of command he sank to
his knees to allow his master to mount; and then, at the touch of his
rider's foot, turned his head towards home and started off obediently.

As they approached the _peelkhana_ a cry was raised, and the elephant
attendants rushed from their huts to stare in awe-struck silence at animal
and man. Ramnath approached with marked reverence, salaaming deeply at
every step.

When Dermot dismounted it was hard for him to bid farewell to Badshah. He
felt, too, that he could no longer make the elephant submit to the ignominy
of fetters. So he bade Ramnath not shackle nor bind