_The_ CAPTAIN _of the caravan spake._ "To the realm of Chedi's sovereign[92]--truth-discerning Subahu, Soon this caravan will enter--travelling in search of gain." BOOK XIII. [93]This, the lovely princess hearing--from the captain of the band, With the caravan set forward--seeking still her royal lord. Long their journey through the forest--through the dark and awful glens; Then a lake of loveliest beauty--fragrant with the lotus flowers, Saw those merchants, wide and pleasant--with fresh grass and shady trees; Flowers and fruits bedecked its borders--where the birds melodious sang: In its clear delicious waters--soul-enchanting, icy cool, With their horses all o'erwearied--thought they then to plunge and bathe; At the signal of the captain--entered all that pleasant grove. At the close of day arriving--there encamped they for the night. When the midnight came, all noiseless--came in silence deep and still, Weary slept the band of merchants--lo, a herd of elephants,[94] Oozing moisture from their temples--came to drink the troubled stream. When that caravan they gazed on--with their slumbering beasts at rest, The tame elephants they scented--those wild forest elephants; Forward rush they fleet and furious--mad to slay, and wild with heat; Irresistible the onset--of the rushing ponderous beasts, As the peaks from some high mountain--down the valley thundering roll; Strewn was all the way before them--with the boughs, the trunks of trees; On they crash'd to where the travellers--slumbered by the lotus lake. Trampled down without a struggle--helpless on the earth they lay, "Woe, oh, woe!" shrieked out the merchants--wildly some began to fly, In the forest thickets' plunging;--some stood gasping, blind with sleep; And the elephants down beat them--with their tusks, their trunks, their feet. Many saw their camels dying--mingled with the men on foot, And in frantic tumult rushing--wildly struck each other down; Many miserably shrieking--cast them down upon the earth, Many climbed the trees in terror--on the rough ground stumbled some. Thus in various wise and fatal--by the elephants assailed, Lay that caravan so wealthy--scattered all abroad or slain. Such, so fearful was the tumult--the three worlds seemed all appalled,[95] "'Tis a fire amid th' encampment--save ye, fly ye, for your lives. Lo, your precious pearls ye trample--take them up, why fly so fast? Save them, 'tis a common venture--fear ye not that I deceive." Thus t' each other shrieked the merchants--as in fear they scattered round. "Yet again I call upon you--cowards! think ye what ye do." All around this frantic carnage--raging through the prostrate host, Damayanti, soon awakened--with her heart all full of dread; There she saw a hideous slaughter--the whole world might well appal.