THE ELEPHANT. 173 



believes that the elephant comprehends these words, 

 because, irritated by the noise, he endeavours to strike 

 with his trunk, and instead of saving himself, as ho 

 might do, by flight, pursues the horse, which turns 

 round and round him unceasingly. At length tho 

 rider, galloping close up to the animal, in passing, lets 

 his companion slip down, who, profiting by tho moment 

 when the elephant is occupied with the horse, adroitly 

 gives him a sabre cut over the top of the heel, and 

 cuts the tendon which in man is called tho " tendon 

 Achilles." 



This is the moment of difficulty, for the rider must 

 at once get behind to take up his companion, who 

 springs up on the horse's crupper. They then follow 

 the other elephants with the utmost speed, if they 

 have separated more than one of the herd, and 

 sometimes they kill as many as three of the same 

 band. If the sabre is well sharpened, and the man 

 strikes with a sure hand, the tendon is entirely 

 separated ; if it is not, the weight of the animal 

 soon completes the work. The elephant, no longer 

 able to advance, falls beneath tho javelin, and expires 

 from loss of blood. 



However clever the hunters may be, the elephant 

 sometimes seizes them with his trunk, and with a 

 single blow felling horse and rider to the ground, 

 he tears them limb from limb > one after the other. 



