Chap. VI.] 
THE ELEPHANT. 
185 
As long as the tame ones stood beside him the poor 
animal remained comparatively calm and almost passive 
under his distress, "but the moment they moved off, 
and he was left utterly alone, he made the most sur- 
prising efforts to set himself free and rejoin his com- 
panions. He felt the ropes with his trunk and tried 
to untie the numerous knots; lie drew backwards to 
liberate his fore-legs, then leaned forward to extricate 
the hind ones, till every branch of the tall tree vibrated 
with his struggles. He screamed in anguish, with his 
proboscis raised high in the air, then falling on his 
side he laid his head to the ground, first his cheek and 
then his brow, and pressed down his doubled-in trunk 
as though he would force it into the earth ; then suddenly 
rising he balanced himself on his forehead and fore- 
legs, holding his hind-feet fairly off the ground. This 
scene of distress continued some hours, with occasional 
pauses of apparent stupor, after which the struggle was 
from time to time renewed convulsively, and as if by 
