34 WILD DEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



information, ami the malefactor was reported after a few days to 

 have destroyed another village, where it remained, devouring the 

 rice and grain in the absence of the panic-stricken villagers. 



No time was lost in repairing to the spot with three highly- 

 trained elephants, two of which were females ; the third was a 

 well-known fighting male, a tusker named Moota Gutchd, who was 

 usually employed to dominate the obstreperous wild elephants when 

 refractory in the keddah enclosures. The necessary ropes and 

 chains were prepared, and the small but experienced party started, 

 Mr Sanderson being armed only with a long spear, and riding on 

 the pad, well girthed upon the back of Moota Gutchd. 



A short hour's march brought them in sight of a ruined village 

 on a level plain, which skirted a dense forest. When within a 

 quarter of a mile, a large male elephant was discovered restlessly 

 walking to and fro as though keeping guard over the ruins he had 

 made. This was the culprit taken in the act. 



Leaving the two females in the rear, with instructions to follow 

 upon a given signal, Mr. Sanderson on Moota Gutchd advanced 

 slowly to the encounter. The rogue elephant did not appear to 

 notice them until within about 200 yards ; it then suddenly halted, 

 and turning round, it faced them as though in astonishment at 

 being disturbed. This attitude did not last very long, as Moota 

 Gutchd still advanced until within ninety or a hundred paces. 

 The elephants now faced each other, and Moota Gutche began to 

 lower his head when he observed his antagonist backing a few 

 paces, which he well knew was the customary preparation for a 

 charge. " Recnlez pour mieux sauter " was well exemplified when 

 in another moment the vagrant elephant dashed forward at great 

 speed to the attack, trumpeting and screaming with mad fury. In 

 the meantime Moota Gutchd coolly advanced at a moderate pace. 

 The shock of the encounter was tremendous. The spear flew out 

 of the rider's hands with the collision, but Moota Gutchd was a 

 trained fighter, and having lowered his head, which had for the 

 moment exposed his mahout, he quickly caught his opponent under 

 the throat with its neck between his tusks, and then bearing up- 

 wards, he forced the head of his adversary high in the air ; now 

 driving forwards with all his strength, he hurled the other back- 

 wards, and with a dexterous twist he threw it upon its side and 

 pinned it to the ground. In an instant Mr. Sanderson slipped off 

 and secured the hind legs with a strong rope. The two females 

 quickly arrived, and within a few minutes the late terror of the 

 neighbourhood was helplessly fettered, and was led captive between 

 the females towards the camp from which it had escaped, assisted, 



