200 BRINGING IN A PRISONER. 



songs and talking to them. One magnificent tusker named 

 Scott attracted much of our attention. Although now the 

 principal gladiator of the Khedda, he had not been very long 

 in captivity, and still retained the proud free gait and high 

 carriage of head of his wild state. Major Baugh told us his 

 behaviour before tigers was splendidly steady, and that on 

 one occasion when a tiger had attempted to charge him, he 

 had actually lifted the brute with his trunk and sent it 

 spinning up for yards through the air. 



The sagacity, and even enjoyment, which the domesticated 

 elephants evince in assisting at the capture of their wild 

 brethren is truly remarkable, and the more so as many of 

 the tame ones may themselves have been roaming free in the 

 forest only a few months before. For example, it is cus- 

 tomary, on a wild elephant being captured, to conduct it 

 along to camp, or to lead it from one camping-ground to 

 another, attached by strong ropes to a Khedda elephant on 

 each side of it. These two warders hustle and jostle their 

 prisoner along, and should he show signs of becoming obstre- 

 perous, belabour him with iron chains, which they carry with 

 their trunks for this purpose. The captive, however, gene- 

 rally submits rather peaceably to his fate, and soon becomes 

 quite tractable to the will of his two custodians. 



In Burmah I have watched elephants in the timber-yards 

 at Maulmain working with almost human intelligence. 

 There they may be seen drawing huge logs about the yards ; 

 unhooking the dragging-chains with their trunks ; lifting the 

 logs on to the piles of timber, and then adjusting them 

 squarely there ; or launching them into the river with their 

 feet, to be floated away. 



But to revert to our present doings on the banks of the 

 Ganges. The day after recrossing the river we were again 

 beating up the quarters of the tigress and cubs, when sud- 

 denly there was a cry of " Mukkee aya " (the bees have come). 

 Those who have never hunted in the Boon or Terai forests 



