364 TEE ELEPHANT. 



who scatter and fly from the headlong charge until 

 he gives up the pursuit ; but he again turns to bay 

 when further pressed by the hunters. It is the duty 

 of one man in particular to ride up close to the 

 head of the elephant, and thus to centre its atten- 

 tion upon himself. This ensures a desperate charge. 

 The greatest coolness and dexterity are then re- 

 quired by the hunter, who, now the hunted, must so 

 adapt the speed of his horse to the pace of the ele- 

 phant that the enraged beast gains in the race until 

 it almost reaches the tail of the horse. In this 

 manner the race continues. In the meantime, two 

 hunters gallop up behind the elephant, unseen by 

 the animal, whose attention is completely directed 

 to the horse almost within his grasp. With ex- 

 treme agility, when close to the heels of the ele- 

 phant, one of the hunters,, while at full speed, 

 springs to the ground with his drawn sword, while 

 his companion seizes the bridle, and with one dex- 

 terous two-handed blow severs the back sinew. He 

 immediately jumps out of the way, and remounts 

 his horse ; if the blow be successful, the ele- 

 phant becomes disabled by the first pressure of its 

 foot on the ground ; the enormous weight of the 

 animal dislocates the joint, and it is rendered 

 helpless. The hunter who has hitherto led the 

 elephant immediately turns, and riding to within a 

 few feet of the trunk, he induces the animal to 

 make another charge. This, clumsily made, affords 

 an easy opportunity for the Aggajeers behind to 

 slash the sinew of the remaining leg, and the im- 

 mense brute is thus reduced to a stand-still ; it dies of 



