Marut soon saw this and swung round to the shore, by which manoeuvre he gained a little as he could turn quicker than Jana.
Back they came, Jana just behind Marut, striking at him with his great trunk.

They landed, Marut flew a few yards ahead doubling in and out among the rocks like a hare and, to my horror, making for where I lay, whether by accident or in a mad hope of obtaining protection, I do not know.
It may be asked why I had not taken the opportunity to run also in the opposite direction.

There are several answers.

The first was that there seemed to be nowhere to run; the second, that I felt sure, if I did run, I should trip up over the skeletons of those elephants or the stones; the third, that I did not think of it at once; the fourth, that Jana had not yet seen me, and I had no craving to introduce myself to him personally; and the fifth and greatest, that I was so paralysed with fear that I did not feel as though I could lift myself from the ground.
Everything about me seemed to be dead, except my powers of observation, which were painfully alive.
Of a sudden Marut gave up.

Less than a stone's throw from me he wheeled round and, facing Jana, hurled at him some fearful and concentrated curse, of which all that I could distinguish were the words: "The Child!" Oddly enough it seemed to have an effect upon the furious rogue, which halted in its rush and, putting its four feet together, slid a few paces nearer and stood still.