Chap. IV.] 



THE ELEPHANT. 



151 



muscle quivering with excitement ; and his countenance 

 lighting up with intense animation, leaping from rock to 

 rock, as nimble as a deer, tracking the gigantic game like 

 a blood-hound, falling behind as he comes up with it, 

 and as the elephants, baffled and irritated, make the first 

 stand, passing one rifle into your eager hand and holding 

 the other ready whilst right and left each barrel performs 

 its mission, and if fortune does not flag, and the second 

 gun is as successful as the first, three or four huge 

 carcases are piled one on another within a space equal 

 to the area of a dining room." 1 



It is curious that in these encounters the herd never 

 rush forward in a body, as buffaloes or bisons do, but 

 only one elephant at a time moves in advance of the 

 rest to confront, or, as it is called, to "charge," the 

 assailants. I have heard of but one instance in which 

 two so advanced as champions of their companions. 

 Sometimes, indeed, the whole herd will follow a leader, 

 and manoeuvre in his rear like a body of cavalry ; but 

 so large a party are necessarily liable to panic ; and, one 

 of them having turned in alarm, the entire body retreat 

 with terrified precipitation. 



As regards boldness and courage, a strange variety 

 of temperament is observable amongst elephants, but it 

 may be affirmed that they are much more generally 

 timid than courageous. One herd may be as difficult 

 to approach as deer, gliding away through the jungle so 

 gently and quickly that scarcely a trace marks their 

 passage ; another, in apparent stupor, will huddle them- 

 selves together like swine, and allow their assailant to 

 come within a few yards before they break away in 



1 Private letter from Capt. Philip Payne G-allwey. 

 l 4 



