298 HAUNTS AND HOBBIES 



or less dangerous. They are also given to wandering. 

 To prevent their doing so, a chain is attached to one of 

 their hind legs and secured at the other end to a post ; 

 but notwithstanding this precaution they still some- 

 times manage to get loose, and then they are to be 

 avoided. I once saw a " must " elephant which had thus 

 broke loose. It was at Dehra. The Commander-in- 

 Chief was marching through the valley, and was en- 

 camped for a day or two just outside the town. He had 

 come, as was the custom of those days, with a great 

 retinue and many elephants. 



I was in my tent ; I heard a clamour, and was told 

 that one of the elephants in the camp had become 

 " must," had broken loose, and was approaching in our 

 direction. I ran out to see ; the sight was disappointing. 

 I had expected to see a furious elephant rushing along 

 with uplifted trunk in a frenzy of rage and occasionally 

 trumpeting. Instead of this I beheld an elephant 

 approaching, walking slowly and deliberately, and in 

 the calmest and most stately manner. He was dragging 

 his chain behind him, and followed by a number of 

 mahowts and their assistants, and after them came a 

 crowd of men and boys. It was from this crowd, who 

 appeared to be highly enjoying the sight, that the noise 

 and shouting proceeded. 



The elephant came on, and passed by. A little 

 beyond, and near beside the road, there stood an 

 empty cottage. The elephant here stopped ; he turned, 

 looked at the cottage for a minute or so, and then left 

 the road and advanced towards it ; and having reached 

 the cottage, he proceeded in the most deliberate manner 



