ANECDOTES OF ELEPHANTS. 171 



fixed his teeth more deeply into the throat of 

 Ragra, who was fast sinking under the victor's 

 grasp and bite. On seeing this, the king 

 ordered Ragra's cage to be opened, to which he 

 escaped, the tigers having been separated by 

 means of red-hot rods of iron ; but the successful 

 tiger was cruelly burnt before he would re- 

 linquish his hold. Such is a tiger-fight in 

 India. 



Another fight took place between two power- 

 ful elephants. One of them, named Malleer, 

 had been victorious several times, but had had 

 one of his tusks broken. Each elephant had on 

 his back a mahout, or keeper, to whom they are 

 generally very much attached, and who urge 

 them on to fight. In this instance, the elephants 

 attacked each other with the greatest fury, 

 having had exciting drugs administered to them. 

 Elevating their trunks, they rushed at each 

 other impetuously, and the sound of their huge 

 heads coming against each other might have 

 been heard at a considerable distance. They 

 then began to push against each other witli their 

 broad foreheads, head to head, and they were 

 not separated for a moment. The mahouts, 

 seated on the neck, at the same time were not 



