II 
THE ELEPHANT 
59 
females quickly arrived, and within a few minutes 
the late terror of the neighbourhood was helplessly 
fettered, and was led captive between the females 
towards the camp from which it had escaped, 
assisted, when obstreperous, by the tusks of Moota 
Gutche applied behind. 
This elephant completely recovered from its 
temporary madness, and became a useful animal, 
affording a striking example of the passing insanity 
of the male passion, and the power of careful 
management in subduing a brute of such stupendous 
force. 
After this incident Moota Gutche, with about 
forty of the keddah elephants, was kindly lent 
to me by Mr. Sanderson during a shooting 
excursion of twenty-five days upon the “ churs ” or 
islands of the Brahmaputra river south of Dhubri. 
In India the tiger is so commonly associated 
with the elephant that in describing one it is im¬ 
possible to avoid a connection with the other. 
Moota Gutche was a peculiar character, not 
altogether amiable, but it was as well to have him 
upon your own side. During the trip my friend 
Sanderson was ill with fever, and could not accom¬ 
pany me. I was therefore at the disadvantage of 
being the only gun in a long line of elephants, which 
would on ordinary occasions have been manned by 
at least four guns. At first I imagined that my trip 
would be a failure, as I knew a mere nothing of the 
language, and the elephants and their mahouts 
were alike strangers to me, but I soon discovered 
