On and on through the jungle crashed the big animals. They did not
stop when trees and bushes got in their way, but broke them down, and
stepped on them. A rush of elephants through the jungle to get away
from danger is almost as hard to stop as a runaway locomotive and
train of cars.

"Can you keep up with us?" asked Umboo's mother of him as he trotted
along beside her. "Are we going too fast for you?"

"Oh, no. I can go quite fast now," said the elephant boy, and he
really could, for he had grown much in the last few months. Plenty of
palm nuts and the bark and leaves of the jungle trees had made him
taller and stronger, and his legs were better fitted for running.

Still Tusker was a wise old elephant, and he knew, even in running
from danger, that it was not well to go so fast that the smaller
animals in the herd could not keep up. If he did that they would fall
behind, and be caught or killed. So, every now and then the old
elephant leader stopped a bit, and looked back. If he saw any of the
boys or girls lagging, or going slow, he would stop for them to rest a
little.

Still, even with rests now and then, the herd went on very fast,
crashing through the jungle, to get away from the danger. At last
Tusker stopped, and said:

"Well, I think we have come far enough. We are beyond the reach of the
hunters now. We can stop and eat and sleep in peace."

So the elephants stopped. You see, now, why it was they had no regular