300 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



and mental qualities of which a brute is capable, and 

 displaying an intelligent interest in his sport of which 

 no brute could be thought to be possessed. No one 

 who has not witnessed it would believe the astonishing 

 caution with which a well-trained elephant approaches a 

 tiger, removing with noiseless adroitness every obstacle 

 of fallen timber, etc., and passing his huge bulk over 

 rustling leaves, or rolling stones, or quaking bog, with 

 an absolute and marvellous silence ; handing up stones, 

 when ordered, for his master to fling into the cover; 

 smelling out a cold scent as a spaniel roads a pheasant ; 

 and at last, perhaps, pointing dead with sensitive trunk 

 at the hidden monster, or showing w^ith short nervous 

 raps of that organ on the ground that he is somewhere 

 near, though not actually discovered to the senses of the 

 elephant. Then the unswerving steadiness when he sees 

 the enemy he naturally dreads, and would flee from 

 panic-stricken in his native haunts, perhaps charging 

 headlong at his head, trusting all to the skill of his 

 rider, and thoughtless of usins; his own tremendous 

 strength in the encounter — for a good elephant never 

 attempts to combat the tiger himself. To do so would 

 generally be fatal to the sport, and perhaps to the 

 sportsman too ; for no one could stick to an elephant 

 engaged in a personal struggle with a tiger, far less use 

 his gun under such circumstances. The elephant's 

 business is to stand like a rock in every event, even 

 when the tiger is fastened on his head — as many a good 

 one will do and has done. 



It is not one elephant in a thousand that is so 

 thoroughly good in tiger- shooting as this ; and such as 

 are command very high prices in the market. From 

 £200 to £400 is now the value of a thoroughly first-rate 

 shooting elephant, though much sport may be had with 



