THE PATLI DUN 58 



the bulk of the animals is so great that their 

 movements are necessarily characterised by a 

 certain amount of deliberation, and the fierce, 

 rapid impact which you see for example in a 

 ram fight, is accordingly wanting. Elephants 

 also fight in silence, and, in the absence of any 

 roaring or screaming, it is not easy to realise 

 that a life-and-death struggle is proceeding. 



Pressed on every side by his enemies, the wild 

 elephant appeared to be tiring, and I think that 

 he would have been overborne had he not, 

 either by accident or design, fought his way to a 

 deep pool of water in the forest, into which he 

 plunged. As he emerged dripping from his bath, 

 with one of the other elephants pummelling him 

 from behind, Bobs Bahadur — so called because 

 he had been captured in a Kheddah at which 

 Lord Roberts had been present — was brought 

 up to charge him in front ; and the two elephants 

 stood for some seconds facing each other, offering 

 a splendid opportunity for a photograph if we 

 had had a camera. The wild elephant calmly 

 awaited the onset; but, from Bobs' attitude, it 

 was clear that the prowess displayed by his 

 antagonist had overawed him, and he would not 

 close. In fact, shortly afterwards Bobs declined 

 to face a charge delivered by the wild elephant, 

 and fled ignominiously, with the wild one in hot 

 pursuit. 



The bath settled the issue. The wild elephant 

 was inspirited and invigorated, and the attacks 

 became more and more feeble, and the drivers 

 less and less willing to trust themselves on the 

 ground. As the wild one stood in the midst of 



