FAZUL THE MAHOUT. 241 



a dog,' said I to Motee Goocha who was but 

 too eager for the fray. When within ten paces 

 Sanderson Sahib told me to shout to Luxa to stop 

 and sit down, as runaway elephants frequently 

 remember the words of command they have been 

 accustomed to, and involuntarily obey. The sound 

 of my voice seemed only to infuriate the rogue, for 

 it only screamed the fiercer and continued to come 

 on with head lowered and trunk coiled away. In 

 these face-to-face charges elephants don't use their 

 tusks until after the first shock is received on the 

 thick frontal bone of the skull, otherwise the tusks 

 would be broken clean off in the terrific force of two 

 such enormous weights coming together with such 

 speed. Forehead to forehead like two rams came 

 they together, and both were thrown back on their 

 haunches by the dreadful shock. Recovering them- 

 selves they both backed several paces and looked 

 at each other a moment, and then to it again, but 

 this time not so fast as the first charge. Trunks 

 were now entwined and each tried to lift the other's 

 head, so as to get at the chest and deliver a fatal 

 thrust with the tusks. Now they reared on their 

 hind legs like two horses, and continued the struggle 

 with their trunks. Sanderson Sahib was thrown 

 off the pad at this time by the unexpected move- 

 ment of Motee Goocha rising on his hind legs. 

 Luxa was the taller beast, and when on his hinds 

 Motee Goocha' s head was below that of the run- 

 away, and he was able to get his opponent's neck 

 between his tusks and with a dexterous twist he 

 threw it on its side. In a moment my noose was 



16 



