chap. v. THE RHATAMAHATMEYA'S TALE. 105 



began in good earnest. The spearmen were in ad- 

 vance, and the axemen were divided into two parties, 

 one on either flank, with an equal number of ropemen. 

 The instant that he charged the whole body of men 

 ran forward at full speed to meet him ; still he con- 

 tinued his furious onset, undismayed by the yells of a 

 hundred men. The spearmen halted when within 

 twenty yards, then turned and fled ; this had been 

 agreed upon beforehand. The elephant passed the 

 two flanks of axemen in pursuit of the flying enemy ; 

 the axemen immediately closed in behind him, led by 

 the husband of the murdered girl. By a well-directed 

 blow upon the hind leg, full of revenge, this active fel- 

 low divided the sinew in the first joint above the foot. 1 

 That instant the elephant fell upon his knees, but re- 

 covered himself directly, and endeavoured to turn upon 

 his pursuers ; a dozen axes flashed in the sunbeams, 

 as the strokes were aimed at the other hind leg. It 

 was the work of an instant : the massive limb bent 

 powerless under him, and he fell in a sitting posture, 

 utterly helpless, but roaring with mad and impo- 

 tent fury. The ropemen now threw nooses over his 

 trunk and head ; his struggles, although tremendous, 

 were in vain ; fifty men, hanging their weight upon 

 several ropes attached to his trunk, rendered that 



1 Since this was written I have seen the African elephant disabled 

 by one blow of a sharp sword as described in the Nile Tril>u(aries 0/ 

 Abyssinia. 



