1 1 6 The Wild Elephant. 



forty to fifty elephants, were enclosed, and were at that 

 moment concealed in the jungle within a short distance 

 of the stockade. Not a sound was permitted to be made, 

 each person spoke to his neighbour in whispers, and such 

 was the silence observed by the multitude of the watchers 

 at their posts, that occasionally we could hear the rust- 

 ling of the branches as some of the elephants stripped 

 off a leaf 



Suddenly the signal was made, and the stillness of the 

 forest was broken by the shouts of the guard, the rolling 

 of the drums and tom-toms, and the discharge of muskets ; 

 and beginning at the most distant side of the area, the 

 elephants were hurried forward at a rapid pace towards 

 the entrance into the corral. 



The watchers along the line kept silence only till the 

 herd had passed them, and then joining the riot in their 

 rear they drove them onward with redoubled shouts and 

 deafening noises. The tumult increased as the terrified 

 rout drew near, swelling now on one side now on the 

 other, as the herd in their panic dashed from point to 

 point in their endeavours to force the line, and the crowd 

 of watchers drove them back with screams, discharges of 

 muskets, and the discordant roar of drums. 



At length the breaking of the branches and the crack- 

 ling of the brushwood announced their close approach, 

 and the leader bursting from the jungle rushed wildly 

 forward to within twenty yards of the entrance, followed 

 by the rest of the herd. Another moment and they 

 would have plunged into the open gate, when suddenly 

 they wheeled round, re-entered the forest, and in spite of 



