Siribeddi. 1 2 5 



cautiously across it when, in order to gi\e it a second 

 turn, it was necessary to. pass between the tree and 

 the elephant. With a -coil round the stem, however, it 

 was beyond her strength to haul the prisoner close up, 

 which was, nevertheless, necessary in order to make 

 him perfectly fast ; but the second tame one, perceiving 

 the difficulty, returned from the herd, confronted the 

 struggling prisoner, pushed him shoulder to shoulder, 

 and head to head, forcing him backwards, whilst at 

 eveiy step Siribeddi hauled in the slackened rope till she 

 brought him fairly up to the foot of the tree, where he 

 was made fast by the cooroowe people. A second noose 

 was then passed over the other hind-leg, and secured 

 like the first, both legs being afterwards hobbled to- 

 gether by ropes made from the fibre of the kitool or 

 jaggery palm, which, being more flexible than that of 

 the coco nut, occasions less formidable ulcerations. The 

 two decoys then -ranged themselves, as before, abreast 

 of the prisoner on either side, thus enabling Ranghani 

 to stoop under them and noose the two fore-feet as he 

 had already done die hind ; and these ropes being made 

 fast to a tree in front, the capture was complete, and 

 the tame elephants and keepers withdrew to repeat the 

 operation on another of the herd. 



As long as the tame ones stood beside him the poor 

 animal remained comparatively calm and almost passive 

 under his distress, but the moment they moved off, 

 and he was left utterly alone, he made the most sur- 

 prising efforts to set himself free and rejoin his com- 

 panions. He felt the ropes with his trunk and tried 



