"Yes, we're all right," said Royce. "Is that my rifle?" "All gone smash, sah," returned John, lifting the rifle which he had picked up from the ground. "Massa Chally's all right, sah." The lock and barrel of Royce's rifle had been smashed beyond repair by the ponderous hoofs. Challis's was unbroken. "Tibu, sah--where he go?" asked John, as they marched down to their camping place. "Who's Tibu?" John explained that when the startling sounds came from the forest, Tibu, one of the released negroes, had recognised them at once as made by stampeding elephants, and had run up the cliff to warn the Englishmen. "Of course; I saw him just before we ran," said Challis. "Let us turn back and look for him." But though they spent some time in searching the cliff above and below, they found no trace of Tibu. He was never seen again. It could only be surmised that, like the Englishmen, he had fled towards the edge of the cliff, but, less lucky than they, had fallen into the water directly beneath the elephants, and been crushed to death. Only a few of the elephants had plunged into the lake. The majority had skirted it and disappeared into the woodland beyond. CHAPTER XIII A NARROW SHAVE "John, send a man to fetch Kulana," said Royce. "It is time we were off." Before the Hausa dispatched by John had gone out of sight, he met Kulana hurrying back from the northward post to which he had been sent to watch the progress of the enemy. Kulana reported that a small party of Tubus had caught sight of him as they emerged from a clump of trees some distance away. They had pursued him and almost run him down when the rush of stampeding elephants caused them to wheel their horses and flee for their lives. He himself only escaped being trampled to death by taking shelter behind a large tree, where he had remained until the storm swept by. Learning from John that the course taken by the elephants was almost the direction of the fort, Royce had an idea. "Why not follow in the track of the elephants?" he said to Challis. "They will clear the Tubus off our line of march, at least for a time, and if we march rapidly we may get through before they have rallied." "We can try, but I doubt it," replied Challis. "The elephants are going at such a thundering speed that they are miles away by this time, and the Tubus won't have any reason to be afraid of them. Still, there's nothing else to be done, and we had better start at once." In a few minutes the baggage was loaded on to the released prisoners, and the party set off, John leading the way with Royce and half the Hausas, the carriers following, and Challis with the rest of the armed men bringing up the rear.