it THE ELEPHANT 33 



who determined at all hazards to hunt it down by following through 

 the jungles, guided by the reports of the natives, who were on the 

 look-out in all directions. The animal showed peculiar cunning, 

 as it never remained in the same place, but travelled a considerable 

 distance immediately after the committal of some atrocity, and 

 concealed itself within the jungles until prompted to another raid 

 in some new direction. I am indebted to Colonel Bloomfield for 

 an interesting description of the manner in which, after many days 

 of great fatigue and patience, he at length succeeded, with the 

 assistance of native trackers, in discovering this formidable oppon- 

 ent, asleep within a dense mass of thorns and grass in the heart of 

 an extensive jungle. The elephant awoke before they could dis- 

 tinctly see its form, owing to the extreme thickness of the covert, 

 but the fight commenced. There was a considerable difference 

 between the attack upon defenceless villagers, who fled before it in 

 hopeless panic, and a stand-up fight with two experienced European 

 shikaris armed with the best rifles ; the terror of the district 

 quickly showed its appreciation of discretion, and, badly wounded, 

 it retreated through the forest, well followed by the determined 

 hunters. Again and again it was overtaken, and a shot was taken 

 whenever the dense jungle afforded an opportunity. At length, 

 maddened by pursuit and wounds, it turned to charge, thereby 

 exposing itself in an open place, and both bullets crashed into its 

 brain, the shot from Colonel Bloomfield's rifle passing completely 

 through its head. 



It would be impossible to determine whether such an elephant 

 could have been subdued and re-domesticated had its capture been 

 effected. There are many cases on record where a "must" 

 elephant has committed grievous depredations, after killing those 

 who were its ordinary attendants, but when re -captured, the 

 temporary excitement has passed away, and the animal has become 

 as harmless as it was before the period of insanity. Mr. G. P. 

 Sanderson, the superintendent of the Government keddahs in 

 Assam, gives a vivid description of an elephant that escaped after 

 killing its mahout and several villagers in the neighbourhood. 

 This animal, like Colonel Bloomfield's elephant, already described, 

 became the terror of the district, and destroyed many villagers, 

 until it was decided by the authorities to attempt its destruction. 



Mr. Sanderson was of opinion that it was too valuable to be 

 heedlessly sacrificed ; he therefore determined to capture it alive, 

 if possible, through the aid of certain clever elephants belonging to 

 the keddali establishment. 



The police of the district were ordered to obtain the necessary 



D 



