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; he 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 



