A TERRIBLE GAME AT FOOTBALL. 151 



wards evening, we reforded the river on the elephants. As 

 we were passing some grass -sheds on our way to camp, Moula 

 Buksh displayed his evil disposition by chevying a wretched 

 pony, which was heavily handicapped in the chase by being 

 hobbled. All the forcible persuasions of the mahout with 

 his iron-hooked goad failed to stop him as he went straight 

 •for the pony. Just as his uplifted trunk was over his in- 

 tended victim's back, the mahout, as a last resource, dropped 

 his outspread turban down over the brute's eyes, and so saved 

 the pony from being kicked to a jelly ; for an enraged ele- 

 phant generally vents its spleen on anything it considers 

 obnoxious and can get hold of, by making a shuttlecock of 

 it between its fore and hind feet. I once saw a Goorkha, 

 who was out with us, have a wonderfully narrow escape from 

 being thus kicked to death. A cheetal had with difficulty 

 been padded on a timid unsteady elephant, which suddenly 

 getting frightened at the dead animal's horns, which were 

 dangling over the pad, touching her hind-quarters, began 

 violently shaking her huge body with a view to getting rid 

 of the objectionable load. This she succeeded in doing, as 

 well as of the Goorkha, who was also on the pad. Before 

 the man could regain his legs the elephant was on him, and 

 playing football with his body. Fortunately the mahout 

 soon managed to control the brute, though not before the 

 man was left lying apparently lifeless. We were horror- 

 struck, thinking the poor fellow was dead. Although he 

 was terribly shaken and bruised, and the breath knocked 

 completely out of him, strange to say not a bone was 

 broken, nor was he otherwise very seriously damaged. 



Although this visit to the eastern side of the Ganges was 

 not attended with any unusual success, on a former one to 

 the same locality, through the kindness of Major Baugh, 

 who was then superintendent of the Government Elephant 

 " Khedda " (Catching Establishment) in the Kumaon Terai, 

 and whose camp we came across, our shooting-party enjoyed 

 an exciting day's sport, the like of which it has seldom been 



