chap. tx. CATCHING AN ELEPHANT. 211 



seven miles an hour ; we therefore had no difficulty 

 in keeping up with him, as we could run between the 

 ant-hills much faster than he could. The ropes were 

 in readiness, and with great dexterity, one of the Moor- 

 men slipped a noose over one of his hind feet, as he 

 raised it from the ground ; and drawing it tight, he 

 dropped his coil. We all halted, and allowed the 

 unconscious elephant to run out his length of line ; 

 this he soon did, and the rope trailed after him like a 

 long snake, we all following at about the centre of the 

 length of rope, or twenty paces behind him. He was 

 making for the jungle, which was not far distant, and 

 we were running him like a pack of hounds, but keep- 

 ing a gun in readiness, lest he should turn and charge. 

 He at length reached the wooded bank of a dry river, 

 and thick rattan jungle bordered the opposite side ; 

 he thought he was safe, and he plunged down the 

 crumbling bank. We were a little too quick for him, 

 by taking a double turn round a tree with the slack 

 end of the rope just as he descended the bank ; the 

 effect of this was to bring him to a sudden standstill, 

 and the stretching of the hide rope threw him upon 

 his knees. He recovered himself immediately, and 

 used extraordinary efforts to break away ; tighten- 

 ing the rope to its utmost length, he suddenly lifted 

 up his tied leg and threw his whole weight forward. 

 Any but a hide rope of that diameter must have given 



