OUR FOUR-FOOTED NEIGHBORS. 325 



porfcunity to stoop under her and slip the noose over the 

 hind foot of the wild one. The latter instantly perceived 

 his danger, shook off the rope, and turned to attack the 

 man. He would have suffered for his temerity had not 

 Siribeddi protected him by raising her trunk and driving 

 the assailant into the midst of the herd, when the old man, 

 being slightly wounded, was helped out of the corral, and 

 his son Ranghanie took his place. 



11. The herd again collected in a circle, with their 

 heads toward the center. The largest male was singled 

 out, and two tame ones pushed boldly in, one on either 

 side of him, till the three stood nearly abreast. He made 

 no resistance, but betrayed his uneasiness by shifting rest- 

 lessly from foot to foot. Ranghanie now crept up, and, 

 holding the rope open with both hands (its other extremi- 

 ty being made fast to Siribeddi's collar), and watching the 

 instant when the wild elephant lifted his hind foot, he 

 succeeded in passing the noose over its leg, drew it close, 

 and fled to the rear. The two tame elephants instantly 

 fell back, Siribeddi stretched the rope to its full length, 

 and, while she dragged out the captive, her companion 

 placed himself between her and the herd, to prevent any 

 interference. 



12. In order to secure him to a tree, he had to be drawn 

 backward some twenty or thirty yards, making furious 

 resistance, bellowing in terror, plunging on all sides and 

 crushing the smaller timber, which bent like reeds beneath 

 his clumsy struggles. Siribeddi drew him steadily after 

 her and wound the rope round the proper tree, holding it 

 all the time at its full tension, and stepping cautiously 

 across it when, in order to give it a second turn, it was 

 necessary to pass between the tree and the elephant. With 

 a coil round the stem, however, it was beyond her strength 

 to haul the prisoner close up, which was, nevertheless, neces- 

 sary in order to make him perfectly fast ; but the second 



