Ill 
THE ELEPHANT 
85 
work ; a thorough harmony exists between men and 
beast, the rifles are in their places, and you feel pre¬ 
pared for anything that may happen during the 
hazardous adventures of the day. 
But how much depends upon that mahout! It is 
impossible for an ordinary bystander to comprehend 
the secret signs which are mutually understood by 
the elephant and his guide—the gentle pressure of 
one toe, or the compression of one knee, or the 
delicate touch of a heel, or the almost imperceptible 
swaying of the body to one side; the elephant 
detects every movement, howsoever slight, and it 
is thus mysteriously guided by its intelligence ; 
the mighty beast obeys the unseen helm of thought, 
just as a huge ship yields by apparent instinct to the 
insignificant appendage which directs her course— 
the rudder. All good riders know the mystery of 
a “ good hand ” upon a horse ; this is a thing that is 
understood, but cannot be described except by a 
negative. There are persons who can sit a horse 
gracefully and well, but who have not the instinctive 
gift of hand. The horse is aware of this almost as 
soon as the rider has been seated in the saddle. In 
that case, whether the horse be first-class or not, 
there will be no comfort for the animal, and no ease 
for the rider. 
If such a person puts his horse at a fence, the 
animal will not be thoroughly convinced that his 
rider wishes him to take it. There are more 
accidents occasioned by a “ bad hand ” than by any 
other cause. If this is the case with a horse well 
