The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-04-15 00:00:00

AN ELEPHANT HUNT.

Je melt interesting letter has been sent by The Times
Special Correspondent to that journal, (under date, Camp
N- ml, Feb. 26,) deacriptive of a grand elephant hunt by the
Ite of Wales and royal party, led by Jung Bahadour in
person, from which we make the following eztra.cts :
. . " Three days.later (yesterday, Feb. 25), however,
there was euch a hunt as comes rarely in a mall's life-
time. I have tried to describe it by telegraph, but ad-
jectives are costly, and aeticles, conjunctions, and pre-
positions ruinous. Another herd wee discovered in the
forest some seven miles from camp. Sir Jung vowed
they elaceild be his. It was in effect a most exciting,
delightful, and novel adventure,in which every one, great
and small, bad his share, with just enough of danger in
it to impart a keen zest to the sport o muected with one's
self-preservation. First we ,knew—at least, we were
told—that the herd was led by a trisker of enormous
size, strength, and courage, who had engaged and
beaten off Sir Jung's best again and again, and that he
had a zenana of eleven ladies, of whom he was
furiously jealous and madly aced. Next it wes to be
our last chance of seeing anything of the sort, for only
in Nepaul is the chase known Mathis fashion, and
there were no other herds in our way to the Sardah.
And then there was 'freedom in the wild wood,' a
release from the pursuit of tiger and deer, and the
daily slow marchipg through the swamp and brake,
I started an hour or two before the Prince left
camp, for I wished to ride quietly • nd have a look
about me. . • . I halted after an hour and a half
beyond the dry bed of a atream filled with boulders.
Presently Lord Alfred Paget appeared on his
elephant, for he, too, had started early. In a few
minutes afterwards Sir Jung galloped up, followed by
the Prince and all his party, and led the way over a
path whch was beset with fallen trees and large
stones. He wore his quaint jockey cap with gold.
laced peak, a shooting suit of hemp, of English make,
and a pair of antigropelos, which are much in favour
among the Nepaulese. The Prince wore a shooting
coat of the colour which tradition says was the
favourite wear of the hero of Killiecrankie, boots, and
breeches. All the English wore riding suits, which
formed a contrast to the diversified costumes of the
Goorkhas. It was now a break-neck pace over break-
neck places; but the Arabs and native horses are
The following is an ortract from the letter of the Corre-
wonderfully sure footed. No bones were broken, nor
spondent of the Daily News, in which he gives the following were there any falls, but there was constant anxiety
Interesting description of the town of Coburg : about heads and knees among trunks and branches of
The present visit of her Majesty to Coburg, after an trees with 'very good reasen for it. . . .
Interval of nearly eleven years, again turns public "Presently there came up a Goorkha hunter—famous
attention towards this agreeable German town; and hereabouts—with full particulars as to the wild herd.
lt seems to me that the younger generation of your The indomitable tusker was up in arms and eager for
readers at least will be glad to know something about the fray; but there was no one to tackle him, and as
the place which is endeared to the Queen by many he WM covering the retreat of the ladies of his family
intimate associations with the late Priece Albert, end he had been headed off by the crowds of natives and
where in former years she spent many agreeable was making off for a pass a few miles ahead.
days. Coburg lies at the portal of the Thuringian Jung called to horse at once, and leading as before at
Forest, nestled in the fertile valley of the Itz, a hand gallop, quickened at times, with the Prince
encircled by wood-clad heights, and with its ancient sometimes at his side where the path was broad enough,
end Despotic fortress picturesquely throned above, and sometimes next behind, went through the 'glades,'
Like most German cities, Coburg long since buret out like the wild huntsman of the German song. . . .
of her pent walls, and her boundaries, even during the The harder Sir Jung rode the better spirits every one
pest decade, have been so enlarged that Queen Victoria was in and the better the horses went. The moraine
will ecarcely recogni-e the scenes which were once so was reached atlast, and all dismount, el. Scouts were
fatuiliar, The modern buildings are of a beautiful sent out to communicate with the trackers, and while
sandstoee which is found in the neighbourhood, and they were away it was proposed by the hungry people
architecturally rshow great taste. that lunch, which had come up on a pad, should
The interior of the city is very old, and the streets be eaten, And so it was. But, In ! Sir Jung in.
r 6 mostly narrow and crooked, suggesting venerable terrupted the hasty meal by urgent entreaties to he
Nuremberg by their gabled houses. But the Queen. Prince to get off the ground and take to a place of
will not reside in this ancient part of Coburg. She refuge. 'We are dead men if the elephants break
will occupy the email palace of the Duke of Edin- down upon us. We must all get into trees.' " But
burgh, which is situated on the pleasant Schloss-Plate, the horses." They must du the best they can. God
directly opposite the Ehrenberg, the castle of the will take care of them.' He was in earnest, evident
reigning Duke. This Schlose-Piatz is a spacious alarm, and there was no time to inquire into the reasons
square, Upon which the theatre and an ornamf ntal he had for supposing that horses would be more favoured
terrace look, as well as the two palaces, and the by Providence than their riders, The Prince, who
middle is embellished with a circular garden, in the was inclined to run risks and laughed at the idea of a
centre of which stands a bronze statue of Ernst 1, tree at first, was persuaded to yield. Close at hand
father of the present Duke and the late Prince Consort. was a fine banyan, with spreading branches, and on the
The people of Coburg insist that they are of fork of two of these, some 31j1 I. above us, the
.Nepanlese
Thuringian origin; but their manners and customs constructed a perch with their lzookeries in a few
and peculiarities of speech would indicate a mixture of minutes, binding this cross branches together with ropes
,
. alb Frank and the Saxon. Pakticularly noticeable lathe of creeper. The Prince clambered up to this stage,
• elearaater of the native Coburger is his bluff, straight- and Lord A. Paget followed him, magna adjuvante
forward manner, a 'certain simplicity and amiable =tend. Prince Louie of Battenberg, whose arm was
' naturalness in his intercourse alike with his equals and Still in A sling, shared a fork lowFr,dawe, along with
We superiors, Indeed, a stranger would be apt to me. Trees all around were speedily tenanted. It was
suppose that the familiarity shown by the common quite wonderful to witness the agility and acerochant
people toward persons of birth, education, and I) Knollys clung
fox, to a peepul, and a couple
powers of some of the suite. Mr.
.:ation, was due to a- lack of proper respect or to pendant, like a flying
t, • eneurably bad manners. But I suspect that of peers, in shadiest covert hid, were swinging in
e this phase of unoonaentionaasm in Coburg life is mid air all well out of proboscis reach. But this ills-
- , to be
_attributed to quite another cause—the beer Play
see: glass. In the numerous ke b• d b- a latent talent and physical force went for
nothing. The speatators waited in vain. There was
* .e• web festooned beer-cellars or "trun:i en:3'Frarle 4nicloo "
w no danger. The Nepauleee ewarmieg aloft, monkey.
rleile unite every evening on common ljground.' 'aeere all like, could see nothing; but they were all very
aless distinctions are forgotten; the general Bits a, the serlous and much on the alert. They all said that
same table with the common euldier and the public if the elephants broke out, and found a single
porter, and the clergyman smokes and drinks his beer human being on the ground, they would, kilt him
T. with the cobbler and the carpenter. Indeed, this at once and inevitably. However, the elephants
„e levelling of social ranks was recently shown at a Court did not come, and when once more the 'scouts ap-
t-, . ball, on Which occasion the thePkeePing element of peered with newsiit was bad indeed. The tuskee hid.
t;th,Coburg was in etrong force—the entire Saugeileranz gone clear away down the hill slope, through the
taunabering perhapsibo persons, " tripping the light fan: forest and jungle between our roosting places and the
ea .e
sa teethe toe " with the titled of the Duchy, and camp. Re was making for the swamp, where he
' • conducting themselves
with an ease and self-Possession would be lost: We could not follow him.
. which amply vindicated the venturesome experiment. "Sir Jung's face as he listened was a picture to see,
The Coburg beer-shape are usually small rooms and if looks could kid the futitive he was a dead ele
haaee `l
tit scantily furnished with wooden etoo
,s and tables, and pliant..
' Call up the pads. Let the Prince mount at
e. supplied with an atmesphere well saturated with once,' he exclaimed. But his Royal Highness, who
tobacco fumes and penetrated by still unplea,santer seemed as if he despaired of seeing this wily monster,
_ odours. These places are full of habitue from five to expressed a wish to ride, instead of going on a pad, and
eee ' eight o'clock in the evening, and every man is served the:reby secured the success of the day, for there can be
le in his own particular tankard by the blooming daugh- no doubt it was only the speed of the hone s which
...., ter of the host who utters perfunctorily the wish of enabled the party to come up with the runaway, head
i f` Virohl bekomm's 1" every time she places a foaming him, and briteg him to bay, and, finally—but I ilntici-
e glasd before her customer. And PO the drinking pate. If Sir Jung rode before, be flew now. Well
and smoking arid gossip go on. While the male mounted as every one was, it was not easy to follow
it wives at times in thi •
quota of the commueity is thus engaged the , Lk wood, over stony ground, cue up
and daughters of Ceburg, in like timelier, have as- by torrents, and covered with fallen trees. In ten
~, eembled around the coffeeepot. Precisely its tho hour minutes more there was heard an awful clamour up
of four sounds from the. city teeeers, the ladies may the hilt on our flank. Hundreds of pads, with mahouts
be seen trooping out of the!r houses ou their way and mallet men, yelling lace maniacs, suddenly came
isepese, to their neighbours, or, if in sumeter, to the public down at full speed, tearing down braneees and tramp-
gardens, Of the mysteries connected with afternoon ling the underwood, and passed inc s succession of
aatat coffee-drinking by the fair ones lam utterly ignorant. brown waves through the green glade. They were
No person of the sterner sex is admitted to these in- lin full pursuit. It was almost appalling, The trackers
, nocent orgies, I can only say that the custom is I had hit off the spot where the tneker'had passed, and
generally followed, and, consequently, mttst have its , pointed out the shattered branches and saplings to
pleasant phases. For instance. I once asked a coffee- 1. gir Jung, who turned down towards the plain, giving
loving matron how she was pleased with hor dweliinF, 001411 to the pads to make all speed to head the

•
Prin,

tusker from the swamps. It is wonderful how every
one got through that gallop, for to the difficulties
of the nature already mentioned to be negotiated,
there was now added the violent )hying of the
herses at the proximity of the trumpeting pads. I
believe Lord Suffield, who had cut out a line of his own
not in the least knowing where he was going (and who
ceuld, indeed ?), but, taking the general line of the
hunt, came upon the wild elephant before he emerged
from the wood, and mile back to tell the Prince and
Sr Jung that he had seen him. At all events, when
the horsemen reached the verge of the forest they saw
before them, in a plain of high grass a huge brown
back, borne along on invisible legs, and reminding one
very much of a whale clearing its way, half-sub-
merged in a placid sea. The cheer that burst forth
was such as was never heard before, and will
probably never be heard again, in Nepaulese jungle
—a joyous English hunting Tally-ho ! " Hark-
forward ! ' which rose high above the storm of pads.
The cry took the hunted elephant aback. He paused,
raised his proboscis inquiringly, looked round with an
air as of one who would say, What manner of men
be these?' and then resumed his course for the swamp.
It could be seen that he was sore distressed. He had
been on the move incessantly from dawn; had
travelled over mountain and valley; had no time to
rest or to eat- his sides were heaving, his gait was
heavy, old he tossed his head wearily from side to
side, showing one, and but one, very large tusk and
the stump of another. But be was tremendous in
bulk and stature. The instant he stopped, Sir Jung
shouted, " Shahzadah 1 Take care! Look out all
of you for your lives! You must not go near him
In that long grass you have no change of getting
away!' But when he saw the elephant was moving
away he clapped spurs to his horse, and keeping
outside the grass, galloped in a line parallel to the
course of the beast. Away went the Prince, awa
went every one, ventre d terre, with a 'Hark-for-
ward!' that made the woods echo, and very soon
the horsemen were careering out on a piece of
burnt prairie, where the reeds were so thick and
stiff as almost to force one's foot out of the stirrup,
in front of the monster, between him and the
swamp. He came on, appearing to grow bigger and
bigger as he loomed above the grass and approached
the cleared space. Than he stood and looked
around him, his proboscis extended, his tail straight
out, and, suddenly uttering a cry, he made a run at
the horsemen who were circling before him and sent
them flying like leaves before the wind. There was
something ludicrous in the gait and attitude of the
charging elephant which made every one, as he bent
down ) 12 his saddle and rode for his life, burst out
laughing— all except Sir Jung, who, with one eye over
his shoulder, kept calling but Look out for the
Prince! Take care, Prince ! ' Shahzadah I Kuber-
dare ! ') A thick black dust flew up from the burnt reeds
and made our faces like chimney•sweeps. But though
the speed at which hiestrange shanabling shuffle carried
him along was quite extraordinary, the beast was too
much fatigued by his past efforts to continue it very long.
He halted and blew a shrill note pf rage' swaying his
head to and fro and flapping his ears, In a moment
the horsemen wheeled and swept round him again, Sir
Jung shaking his fist and using the most opprobrious
terms to the indignant animal. It was of the utmost
consequence to keep him in the open if possible, and
take as much out of him as possible, till the fighting
elephants could come up. Down went his head, and
up went proboscis and tail once more. This time
he turned straight on the Prince, who was shaking
with laughter as he put his hor-e—a splendid Arab
—to his top speed. Fast as he went the terrible
proboscis was not many yards behind him for a
second or two, but the pace was too great to last,
and the elephant pulled up as befpre. The horses
evidently had the pull of him in this sort of ground,
and there waanothing to fear but a fall or stumble,
and then—well, nothing can save you if you are
caught.' Over and over again this attack and flight
were repeated. It was now Mr. Rose who was
singled out, now Lord Suffield, now Lord Oarington
as cne happened to be nearest to him when he took his
run, and nearly all the party had the honour of being
chased in turn. Lord Alfred Paget and Lord C.
Beresford- were out of the hunt on pad elephants
not expecting such a finish to the day, and Prince
Louis of Battenburg had given his broken collar-bone
a slight jar, and was returning to camp.
" All this time every one was expecting the cham
pions. Repeated messengers were despatched for
them, but the redoubtable Jung Pershaud was rather
done about the legs and could not travel fast, and
Bijli Perahaud was legs,
away in the rear. The line of
pads, however, came in sight, pouring out of the wood
full speed. The hunted elephant, either too much
fatigued to charge again or having duly eeflected on the
best course to pursue, now set off at a quick walk in
the direction of the very marsh from which it was
desirable to keep him. In vain the horsemen capered
in front of him, rode up to his flanks' and within switch
of his tall. On he went, sweeping his proboscis right
and left, like a porpoise through a shoal of herrings,
It was exciting to be able to get so close to him,
and it was irritating to be so powerless to control
his course or divert him from his purpose. Nearer
and nearer loomed the tall rushes, the waving reeds,
the long green, feathery grass of the swamp. He
will escape, by Jove I Can nothing be done? Where
are those wretched elephapts Our horses' hoofs
begin to sink, the ground is growing marshy, the ele-
phant crosses a watercourse, mounts the other side,
and gains a nullah. The Prince, Sir Jung, and all
make a final and close attack; but he is not to be led
away from his resolve ; the water spurts up from
beneath his feet, and then there is a great squashing
of reeds; he enters the swamp, the rushes and tall
reeds close behind him ;he is lost to sight. There is an
exclamation of dieappointment from his pursuers; but
Sir Jung says calmly, 'We are sure of him when Jung
Pershaud comes up. He will not go far, and he will
not leave the marsh' There was a belt of trees on a
riOge close at hand, and Sir Jung led the Prince to it,
and all diamounted and sat down in the shade. A
Nepaulese was sent up a tall tree alone He
sees the elephant,' said Sir Jung. He is in a pool,
splashing and cooling himself with jets of water.
It is as 1 expected.' Now and then a small brownish
patch could be made out above the grass by those on
the top of the ridge. All this time the army of pads
had been rounding the edge of the swamp to the far end
of it, and we could see them draw up in a dense living
barrier. They could not stop the wild one, it is true,
but they could prevent his stealing out unobserved.
Presently there galloped up, riderlese, a horse which
was recognised as Dr. Fayrer's. The Prince and every
one felt very uneasy till we heard Sir Joseph was on an
elephant, all right. His horse had gone down a deep
pit, which had been partly filled in, and was overgrown
with vegetation—one of the pits used in this part of
India, when it was British, to catch wild elepeants.
Man and horse fell together ten feet, he ground was
soft, and neither was hurt by the fall itself, but Sir
Joseph had a severe strain, and snapped a sinew in his
effort to keep his seat. It was a very lucky escape.
"Half an hour and more passed. At last there was
a cry from -afar, Jung Pershaud is coming; Jung's
bell was heard, ringing like that of a town crier. Bye-
and-by the great brute, whose head is painted a bright
red, to give him a sanguinary aspect, went straight
into the swamps. The small fighting elephants and the
pads and lady elephants outside closed up closer to the
edge and end. When Misserimus, as I will call the
wild fellow, heard the strange clang of the bell swing-
ing from Jung Pershaud's neck priming down on him,
he slowly turned and swept away the reeds with his
proboscis so as to get a clearer view. Jung, with his
mahout on his neck and a mallet-man on his stern as
if steering him, did not give Miserrimus much time for
reflection. He advanced upon him. The fight seemed
unequal. Jung Pershaud had two tusks, cut short,
indeed, but still 4ft. or sft. long, very strong, and
bound round with brass rings to prevent fracture.
He was a trained bruiser, and he was larger
than the other, big as he was. Indeed, he
had the largest body and forehead of any of the
race we have seen in India. Miserrimus had only one
tusk and the stump of another, but his perfect tusk
was a beauty, and it ended in a very fine point. This
he lowered, as if to receive cavalry, and stood to await
the charge. But Jung, raising his proboscis with a
flourish in the air, first gave him what I can only term
a clout' with it on the side of the head; and, as
Miserrimus turned a little to get his tusk to bear,
Jung passing on towards his quarter, gave him a ram
with his head and tusks right on the beam, which
fairly reeled him' half over. It is impossible to give
an idea of the force of the blow. The thud was heard
around like a stroke on a big drum in a silent theatre.
It was quite enough for Mistrrimus. There's more
where that cattle from' quoth be to himself, and as
Jung drew back to administer ram No. 2 his antagonist,
with an unexpected nimbleness, fairly bolted off,
and set out tor the open country in our direction,
leaving Jung to beat the empty air. Every one was
mounted now, and the Prince and his friends were
prepared for all emergencies, but this unexpected
strategy of Miserrimus disconcerted them. He had
evidently mastered the situation. This trained
assassin, with his two men to guide him, is bigger and
stronger than I am, but lam more fleet of foot. lam
refreshed by my bath and rest, and I'll make for the
forest, where horses cannot follow me. As for these
pads and disgraceful females I'll sweep them away like
flies.' Thus meditating, he received a dig in the stern
from Jung Pershaud which nearly sent him on his wise
head, and quickened his resolve not to let him deliver
another. There was any way a tremendous splashing
and squelching in the grass near us, and in a minute
more Miserrimus appeared and came out on the dry
ground, heading for the wooded ridges. As he cal-
culated, the females, the pads, and the small fighting
elephants made way, and turned from him in the
most abject terror. Jung Pershaud made one strenuous
attempt to engage him but Miserrimus was at least
two knots faster, and his slipped into the wood long
before the other could reach it. •
"And now Sir Jung's anxiety was intense again.
Horsemen in a wood have no chance of escaping an
elephant. They are held and checked by saplings,
which the creature breaks like straws. 'Don't go near
Keep him in view, that is !' It was marvel-
lous to see how the wild elephant crashed along, only
turning for the larger trees in the jungle, and eeeruing
resistless as fine. All our hope now was in Bijii Per-
shaud—the Lightning ' conqueror, who had been
long expected. Horseman after horseman was sent
for him. Meantime Miserrimus continued his career
at a shamble till he reached a small stream on the
other side of the belt of wood, and saw that he would
have to cross some open ground befen is he could reach
the great forest. The Prince and most of his party
had ridden out of the belt, expecting to see the tight
renewed outside, and I WM following when I saw
Sir Jung riding among the trees as fast as he could
maoage it with Mr. Girdlestone's Arab horsebreaker
'Bill' and Captain Grant after him, and evidently in-
tent on some very important businees. I turned and
joined them, and I was fortunate enough, in conse-
quenee, to see the beginning of Bijii's attack and the
result, although at the coet of n very complete purl.
On the skirts of the wood was a very steep bank, and,
e 3 it proved, a deep ditch-like stream. Sir Jung went
at it flting and cleared the brook, but the horse very
neany .os. I t his balance on the bank said slipped in.
osoweenttrie n es
op and
fo
'Bill' sailed across like a bird. Captain Grant was
over nearly at the same moment, and I was obliged
to go
fear
aar littleo f
jumpinghigh er
oini p
him.o The ccainthee
of m
n ac
his shoulders, breasted the bank and made a violent
lunge forward which sent me skimming gracefully
along the ground on the other side; but as my. I
Arab did not attempt to run away, when I got up
was enabled to mount him, thanks to Captain
Grant, and to follow my leader again, Having

skirted the wood for five or six minutes I was surprised
to see Sir Jung pull up and begin to shake his fist at
the trees and to hear him pour out a volley of the most
violent invective. 'He is abusing the elephant,' said
Captain Grant. He is insulting his female relations,
and calling him every name in the world.' And there
sure enough, standing against a tree was Miserrimus,
intently listening to Sir Jung, asif he were taking notes
for an action of defamation. There were only the four of
ue Whether he thought he could finish the little lot
offhand at once, or that his feelings were roused
to madness by a remark affecting the reputation of
his deceased mother I cannot say; but certain it is
that, without sound or note of warning, he plunged
, into the stream like a house undermined by a flood,
and was up on the other side and at us in a moment.
Rash and rioiculous Miserrimus You are doomed.
At this supreme moment Bijli Pershaud emerged
from the covert a few yards away. Not so large
as Jung Pershaud, but larger than Miserrimus, I
think, comparatively fresh, destitute of tusks—
though a male and of great courage. As Miserrimus
halted he saw his new antagonist. 'Ply from him !
never !' Se he set his fare legs a little apart, lowered
his head and prepared for battle. As Bijli came on at
full speed he turned ahead too, and in a second more
the two rams met with what ought to have been con-
cussion of each other's brains, and utter smashes of
frontal bones. It was a terrific encounter, and the
good people who were horrifica about the Baroda fights
which really hurt no man nor beast, save one buffalo,
and which are far exceeded in cruelty by every day's
work at Islington or Smithfield, ought to send a depu-
tation to Sir Jung to remonstrate against this
Nepaulese pastime. Each recoiled; each got ready
again. Bijli was the quickest—whether he was aided
by the craft of man on his back or not, he this time de-
livered a ram on the port bow of Miserrimus, which
Shook him fro.n stem to stern. He repeated the ram
at once, for he had discovered a flaw, to be revealed
presently, which, no doubt, greatly affected the
fortunes of the day. Bijli got his head to bear on
the hollow where the huge head of the elephant
joined the shoulder, which is a weak place. He
gave Miserrimus a thrust in the neck, which appeared
to knock the wind out of him. Still Miserrimus tried
to find sea room for a run, but Bijli had fairly 'got
him,' was on his flank and kept to it. When Miserri-
mus ran Bijii ran too, and, being faster, was always
able to resume his station, and beam and ram him.
The Prince of Wales came riding down, with all the
party, in time to see the defeat of Miserrimns, who had
just been caught en g,grant delit close to a tree. Bijli
had given him a ram against it, which fairly made the
branches quiver. Miserrimus seemed quite stupefied.
The attendants of the small fighting beasts slipped down
and passed a turn of a stout rope round his hind leg,
while Bijli sought to engage his attention by giving
him resonant whacks over the head and eyes with
his trunk. But Miserrimus was not done yet.
He felt the rope and broke away before it could be
secured. He ran away once more, followed closely
by the relentless Bijli and the small fighting
beasts, and eneircled by a cloud of horsemen. It
was almost his last effort. Bijli gave him a ram in
the quarter, and then poor Miserrimus said, as
plainly as elephant could say it, 'I give in.' He
made a feeble tootle of a trumpet, full of despondency
—a cry for mercy—dropped his proboscis, as a van-
quished knight who lowers his sword point, arid stood
screening his shame with his huge ears. There must
b 3 sossae elephant language. Bijli accepted the sur-
render on the instant, wound his proboscis round the
captive's neck, and, I dare say, complimented him on
his very handsome resistance. But, after all,
Miserrimus, the odds wereagainat you, and I am
Bijli, you know.' 48 Miserrimus was thinking what
to "anower, the knaves with the ropes were at work
again, and this time made good their knot. He felt it
and make a tottering run, which put the horsemen to
flight, but his conqueror was too close. There was no
chance for him—a great rope trailing behind him,
Bijli beating him over the bead, and battering his
poor sides, and four fighting elephants close at hand.
Miserrimus (stood still. He was taken into custody.
Bijli stood before him, and two elephants on each side.
who patted him with their trunks and jammed him
between them till the rope was made fast to the other
hind leg. The deed was done. And lo! it was dis-
covered that poor Miserrimes was blind of an eye?
He had, no doubt, lost it in the same fight in which his
tusk had been broken off short. When this discovery
was made, Sir Jung said, I will let him go if the
Prince expresses a wish that he should be set at liberty
but I hope to be allowed to offer his Royal Highness
the tusk. The Prince very readily demanded grace
, for the captive, and he was led away under the strictest
watch to a great tree where he was mowed by a veri-
table cable to, the trunk. There, as we gathered round
him, he stood sullen and silent, rejecting with scorn
reacheruadoef
histhe
proboscis; sugar
cane
butheoutldas
thaet arm'scavalcade
one great effort, and strained on the cable till the tree
shook to its summit. Then he uttered one very bitter
iengtrh rode within
h
cry. It is said that his wives answered him from afar,
but this I cannot vouch for. When Sir Jung came
over to the Prince's camp fire that night, he was ac-
companied by men bearing the beautiful tusk, which
had been sawn off soon after we left. Next morning
Miserrimus was set free and went off in search of his
family, who treated him, I hope, with the respect
due to the brave and the unfortunate. So ended the
elephant Inuit. Bijli had got at the blind side of
Miserrimus."