INDIAN SHOOTING 231 



carriers follow a hundred yards in rear, as the trackers, if alone, 

 are not likely to be taken by surprise. Rogue elephants, though 

 more liable to attack in the first place, are not more determined 

 than others ; a female with a young calf is much more likely 

 to charge persistently, and the advantage of having only one 

 animal to deal with is immense. 



The wild elephant's attack is one of the noblest sights of the 

 chase. A grander animated object than a wild elephant in full 

 charge can hardly be imagined ; the cocked ears and broad fore- 

 head present an immense frontage ; the head is held high, with the 

 trunk curled between the tusks to be uncoiled in the moment of 

 attack ; the massive forelegs come down with the force and regu- 

 larity of ponderous machinery, and the whole figure is rapidly fore- 

 shortened, and appears to double in size with each advancing 

 stride. The trunk being curled and unable to emit any sound, the 

 attack is made in silence, after the usual premonitory shriek, which 

 adds to its impressiveness. A tiger's charge is an undignified dis- 

 play of arms, legs, and spluttering ; the bison rushes blunderingly 

 upon his foe ; the bear's attack is despicable ; but the wild ele- 

 phant's onslaught is as dignified as it seems overwhelming ; and a 

 large tusker's charge, when he has had sufficient distance to get 

 into full swing, can only be compared to the steady and rapid ad- 

 vance of an engine on a line of rail. With all this, the sportsman 

 who understands his game knows that there is a natural timidity 

 in the elephant which often plays him tricks at the last moment. 

 It is not difficult to turn or stop him with heavy metal, and if 

 knocked down, he never, I believe, renews the attack. 



Thus Sanderson writes, and in conventional phraseology 

 that is all very fine ; but Sanderson seems to have let his feel- 

 ings run away with him. I confess that a tiger charging never 

 appeared undignified to me ; bis charge has always struck me as 

 being a particularly neat, business-like performance, and the 

 coughing roar that accompanied it did not at all detract from the 

 show — spluttering indeed ! Sanderson's elephant does not roar 

 because he is afraid of hurting his trunk. Then the poor bison 

 a blunderer ! The way an old bull will charge, dodge behind 

 a bush till he sees someone following him or hears someone 



