THE PATLI DUN 51 



we turned a semicircle and proceeded to beat 

 down the strip of forest between the clearing and 

 the hills. The wild elephant was soon started ; 

 a shot was fired to head him in the right direction, 

 and the next moment we were all in a mad pursuit. 



The other elephants were stripped for the fray, 

 their only gear being ropes and a tiny seat at the 

 stern, where the driver's assistant sat with a 

 mace studded with nails to belabour the elephant 

 on the rump and urge it onwards. We were 

 handicapped to some extent by our equipment, 

 as the usual pad, or mattress, on which the riders 

 sit, had been tied upon Nellie, and she was not 

 specially dressed for the occasion. She was, how- 

 ever, a splendid elephant, and, although we were 

 not in the first flight, we were well up in the 

 second. While we were in full career a creeper 

 _caught me round the throat, and nearly pulled 

 le off the elephant ; but I managed to shout, 

 "and Nellie answered beautifully to an order 

 from the mahout to halt, and the situation was 

 saved. 



After a space of half a mile or more, we came 

 in sight of the wild elephant. Three or four of 

 the tame elephants were around him, and the 

 mahouts were attempting to fasten their nooses 

 on to his neck or limbs. The first mahout who 

 fastens a noose on a wild elephant receives a 

 reward of twenty rupees, and there is naturally, 

 therefore, keen competition. For some time 

 the wild elephant made no objection to the 

 presence of the tame females, and I thought that 

 an easy and uneventful capture was about to be 

 made ; but eventually he turned crusty and 



