The driver lacked Hui's skill, and his turn away was inept. The next chariot in line was not so fortunate. The elephant wheeled to chase after Hui, but he was at full gallop and raced clean away. For a moment I lost control of the team, and we swerved away. The horses shied wildly, so that I was thrown against the dashboard with a force that bruised my ribs. He threw up his trunk and loosed a blast of sound that stunned and deafened us. It was as though the bull heard and understood the challenge. His archer from the footplate behind him fired an arrow into the bull's cheek a hand's-span below the eye, and that pulled his attention from us. Hui came in from the side, lashing his horses and yelling like a demon. Hui in the second chariot of our line saved us, for we were defenceless against the old bull's fury. When they spread their ears they seemed to block out the sky, like a dark grey thundercloud. It was only then that I realized the true size of them. The two old bulls we had selected had sensed our approach and turned to face us. Our plan was to come in and split on each side of the bull, firing our arrows into him as we passed, then wheeling around and coming back in classic chariot tactics. Then the next chariot in line tore in, distracting the bull from his victim.īehind us the rest of our column was strung out in single file. We did not know then that the brain of the elephant is not situated where you would expect it to be, but is far back in the mountainous skull and protected by a mass of spongy bone that no arrow can penetrate. It struck the bull in the centre of his forehead, and I expected to see him collapse as the bronze point pierced the brain. There were broken chariots scattered across the field, for Kratas out on the left had fared no better than we had. I pulled up my horses at the edge of the grove, and we stared back aghast at the carnage of our shattered squadron. Let Kratas have the other, it's good enough for him." "You heard the royal command," Tanus laughed. This would be an easy kill, and I sensed Tanus" disappointment at the prospect of such poor sport. Perhaps these animals were every bit as dull-witted as they looked. We were right on the bull now, but still he stood his ground. This was no porcine sloth, but a courageous and terrible adversary that we had challenged in our arrogance and ignorance. They were not the eyes of an animal, but those of an intelligent and alert human being. I looked up at him, for he towered directly over us, reaching out with his trunk to pluck us from the cockpit of the chariot, and I could not believe the size of him, nor the fury in those eyes. It was hard to control them and keep them running straight. They had picked up the scent of this strange quarry, and they threw their heads up and crabbed in the traces. He was unperturbed, and concerned only with the trophy of the chase, but the horses were nervous and skittish.
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