The Elephant 29 



horse gradually approaches in front. There stands the 

 elephant with cocked ears and gleaming eyes, and the 

 Arab slowly drawing nearer, sits in his saddle and re- 

 viles him. Finally, what the Hamrans or Baggaras knew 

 from the first would happen actually takes place. The 

 elephant forgets everything, and dashes forward to annihi- 

 late this little wretch who has been cursing and pitching 

 pieces of dirt at him. Then the horse is whirled round, 

 and keeping just out of reach of his trunk, its rider 

 lures the enraged animal on. As soon as he starts, 

 those riders on his quarters swoop down at full speed, 

 and when the one on his left comes alongside, he springs 

 to the ground, bounds forward, his sword flashes in the 

 air, and all is over. The foot turns up in front, in con- 

 sequence of cutting the tendon that keeps it in place, 

 and its blood rapidly drains away through the divided 

 vessels until the animal dies. 



That "the reasoning elephant," of whom Vartomannus 

 (" Apud Gesnerum ") exclaims in terms that have been 

 repeated for nearly two thousand years, " Vidi elephantos 

 qiwsdam qui prudentiores mihi vidabantur quam quibus- 

 dam in locis hominis" should have thus relinquished his 

 advantages, abandoned an unassailable position, and know- 

 ing the consequences, rushed upon destruction in this 

 way, is deplorable, and the worst of it is that he always 

 does this. The intellect of which Strabo calmly asserts 

 that it " ad rationale animal proxime ace edit" is never 

 sufficient to save him. Probably, however, this con- 

 duct might appear to be more consistent, if instead 

 of trusting to these very classical but perfectly worth- 



