Chap. VI.] 
THE ELEPHANT. 
.195 
The dam of the youngest was the second elephant 
[singled out by the noosers, and as she was dragged along 
by the decoys, the little creature kept by her side till she 
was drawn close to the fatal tree. The men at first were 
rather amused than otherwise by its anger ; but they 
[found that it would not permit them to place the second 
\ noose upon its mother ; it ran between her and them, it 
^ tried to seize the rope, it pushed them and struck them 
with its little trunk, till they were forced to drive it 
: back to the herd. It retreated slowly, shouting all the 
| way, and pausing at every step to look back. It then 
I attached itself to the largest female remaining in the 
! group, and placed itself across her forelegs, whilst she 
hung down her trunk over its side and soothed and 
, caressed it. Here it continued moaning and lamenting, 
till the noosers had left off securing its mother, when it 
| instantly returned to her side ; but as it became trouble- 
some again, attacking every one who passed, it was at last 
tied up by a rope to an adjoining tree, to which the 
other young one was also tied. The second little one, 
equally with its playmate, exhibited great affection for 
its dam ; it went willingly with its captor as far as the 
tree to which she was fastened, and in passing her 
! stretched out its trunk and tried to rejoin her ; but 
' finding itself forced along, it caught at every twig and 
branch within its reach, and screamed with grief and 
disappointment. 
These two little creatures were the most vociferous of 
the whole herd, their shouts were incessant, they 
struggled to attack every one within reach ; and as their 
! bodies were more lithe and pliant than those of greater 
growth, their contortions were quite wonderful. The 
most amusing thing was, that in the midst of all their 
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