"No," she sadly answered. "It is not. This is dreadful!"

"What has happened?" asked Umboo. "And why do Tusker and the other big
elephants look so scared?"

"Because we are caught in a trap," answered the boy elephant's mother.
"I have heard tell of these places, but I was never in one before."

"Can't we get out?" Umboo wanted to know.

"Tusker will try, and so will your father," said Mrs. Stumptail. "All
the strong elephants will try to break out. Perhaps it will be all
right yet. Listen, Tusker is going to speak."

Tusker, the big bull, raised his trunk and said:

"O, Elephants! I am sorry, but I seem to have led you into a trap. I
did not know it was here. I tried to lead you away from the man-smell
and away from the danger, but I have led you into worse. Now I will
try to get you out. I see what has happened. The hunters made their
fences in the jungle so we could only come this way--this way into the
trap. But we shall break out!

"Come over here by me, Mr. Stumptail, and you too, Mr. One Tusk, and
you also, Bumper Head. Come, we will rush at the fence of this trap
and batter it down. In that way we can get out. We shall fool these
hunters yet. Come, we will batter down the fence and once more we will
be in our jungle!"

"Yes, we will knock down the fence!" cried the other big elephants