/:..;:. TIGERLAND 



demoralization of this generally stolid beast, often resulting 

 in its headlong flight in any direction it may happen to be 

 facing at the moment and utterly regardless of what there 

 may be in its path. 



The position of the sportsman under these circumstances 

 is anything but a pleasant one, for, on the one hand, he 

 stands a fair chance of being swept off the howdah 

 loaded guns and all by projecting branches or, should he 

 be fortunate enough to escape this fate, of the elephant 

 going head-over-heels into some " nullah," which some- 

 times have a drop of from ten to fifteen feet ; not to mention 

 the added danger from the unwelcome intruder itself, 

 which could, without much difficulty, clamber into the 

 howdah or seize and pull off the driver, in which cases the 

 chances of the sportsman coming safely out of the melee 

 would be a poor one, for the elephant, already mad with 

 terror would, without its driver to soothe and pacify it, 

 soon become absolutely frenzied, and might continue its 

 flight for hours. For anyone to attempt to jump or slide 

 off an elephant's back when in this demoralized condition 

 would be to expose himself to the still greater danger of 

 being either trampled to death by the frantic beast or 

 torn in pieces with its trunk, for these animals even when 

 composed and in their right minds, are peculiarly sensitive 

 to any sudden movement or of anything falling near or 

 touching them. 



There is no animal so generally docile and obedient as 

 a domesticated elephant, but when roused by anger or 

 demoralized through fear, there is probably nothing in the 

 brute creation so thoroughly dangerous. Were it not for 

 this defect in their disposition the fact of a tiger or leopard 

 climbing into a howdah would be no very serious matter, 

 since the occupant could easily, at such close range, plant 

 his shot at once into some vital spot. Unfortunately, on 

 such occasions, however, the elephant either tries to shake 

 its assailant off, and if successful attempts to trample it 

 to death or makes a clean bolt, as already stated. In 

 either case, its movements are so extremely violent that it 

 is as much as the sportsman can do to retain his position 

 in the howdah, much less use his rifle to defend himself. 



In fact, it is almost preferable to be on an elephant that 

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