146 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
exposing them to imminent peril ; — indeed, those un- 
fortunate persons are occasionally trodden to death by 
the angry elephants when thrown from their necks or 
haunches. Sometimes they are struck down by the 
trunks of the enraged animals whilst encouraging or 
goading them to the combat : they, however, general- 
ly contrive to evade such disasters, by retreating to- 
wards the tails of their respective charges, as these 
latter meet in full encounter. 
So soon as the huge antagonists see the female they 
immediately trot towards her ; but, coming in sight of 
each other, there is usually a pause, during which 
the shaking of the tail, the flapping of the ears, and 
the lifting of the trunk, manifest a state of extreme 
disquiet. The object of contention does not attempt 
to quit her post, but stands, with evident tokens of 
pleasure, mutely contemplating the approaching strug- 
gle. After a short interval one of the elephants rushes 
to the encounter ; and when both meet, the shock is 
always tremendous. The tusks come into stunning 
collision, and with so loud a shock as to be heard at 
a distance of several hundred yards, the concussion 
being so tremendous as to raise the two gigantic 
champions off their fore legs. After they have met, 
the contest sometimes becomes terrible in the extreme. 
They grasp one another's trunks, butting with their 
heads, and occasionally raising a shrill cry of the 
fiercest rage. The female, meanwhile, does not offer 
to interpose, but calmly surveys the combat, as if 
with the gratifying consciousness that her presence 
stimulates her gallant rivals to maintain the despe- 
rate struggle for victory. 
