360 



THE ELEPHANT. 



[Part VIII. 



fibre of the kittool or jaggery palm, which, being nioi-e 

 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 enabhng Eang- 

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

 he had akeady done the 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 opera- 

 tion on another of the herd. As lono: as the tame ones 

 stood beside him the poor animal remained comparatively 

 cahn and almost passive under his sufferings, but the mo- 

 ment they moved off, and he was left utterly alone, he 

 made the most surprising efforts to set himself free and re- 



join his companions. lie felt the ropes with his trunk 

 and tried to untie the numerous knots ; he di'ew back- 

 wards to hberate his fore-legs, then leaned forward to extri- 

 cate the hind ones, till every branch of the tall tree vibrated 

 Avitli his struggles. He screamed in his anguish with his 

 proboscis raised high in the air, then falling on his side he 

 laid his head to tlie ground, first his cheek and then his 

 brow, and pressed down his doubled-in trunk as tliough 

 lie would force it into tlie earth ; tlien suddenlv risina; he 



