304 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



brute. He was quite quiet at the fair, having been 

 probably kept drugged with opium ; but on the march 

 down to Central India he broke out and killed a man, 

 and afterwards became quite uncontrollable. He fetched 

 his full price, however, for a native notable ; for he was 

 a very handsome animal, and a wealthy native is rather 

 proud of having an elephant that no one can go near, 

 chained up at his gateway for an ornament. 



All elephants intended to be used in hunting tigers 

 must be very carefully trained and entered to their 

 game. A good mahout, or driver, is very difficult to 

 obtain. They differ as much in their command over 

 elephants as do riders of horses ; and a plucky driver 

 will generally make a staunch elephant, and vice versd. 

 The elephant should first be accustomed to the firing 

 of guns from his back, and to seeing deer and other 

 harmless animals shot before him in company with a 

 staunch companion. He must not be forced in at a 

 tiger, or at a hog or bear, which he detests even more, 

 until he has acquired some confidence, though in some 

 few cases he will stand to any animal from the very first. 

 When they have seen a few tigers neatly disposed of, 

 most elephants acquire confidence in their human allies, 

 and become sufficiently steady in the field; but their 

 ultimate qualities will depend much on natural tempera- 

 ment. The more naturally courageous an elephant is, 

 the better chance there is of his remaining staunch after 

 having been actually mauled by a tiger, an accident to 

 be avoided, of course, as long as possible. It will occur 

 sometimes, however, in the best hands ; and then a 

 naturally timid animal, who has only been made staunch 

 by a long course of immunity from injury, will probably 

 be spoilt for life, while a really plucky elephant is often 

 rendered bolder than before by such an occurrence. 



