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.  And so in his extremity he fled to Dermot.

The soldier hurriedly put down his rifle and picked up the fowling-piece.  The elephant rushed past him, and then the snake seemed to sense the man—­its feeble sight would not permit it to see him.  It swerved out of its course and came towards him.  When but a few feet away it suddenly checked and, swiftly writhing its body into a coil from which its head and about five feet of its length rose straight up and waved menacingly in the air, it gathered impetus to strike.

A deadly feeling of nausea and powerlessness possessed Dermot, as from the open mouth, in which the fatal fangs showed plainly while the protruding forked tongue darting in and out seemed to feel for him, came a fetid effluvia that had a paralysing effect on him.  He was experiencing the extraordinary fascination that a snake exercises over its victims.  His muscles seemed benumbed, as the huge head swayed from side to side and mesmerised him with its uncanny power.  The gun almost dropped from his nerveless fingers.  But with a fierce effort he regained the mastery of himself, brought the butt to his shoulder, and pressed both triggers.

At that short range the shot blew the snake’s head off, and Dermot sprang back as the heavy body fell forward and lashed and heaved with convulsive writhing of the muscles, while the tail beat the ground heavily.

At the report of the gun Badshah stopped in his hurried retreat and turned.  Then, still showing evidences of his alarm, he approached Dermot slowly.