The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-10-24

and secured to a rattan girth passing
round it's body. The eirth also helps tc
steady the second man, who kneels OF
sits, monkey fashion, on his heels
perched over the hind quarters, with a
wooden club tied to his wrist. This
and the prod are for persuading thei1
mounts, and at times are pretty freely
used. The trained animals wander
about among the others In an appa-
rently aimless sort of way, but all the
time are trying to approach one of the
selected elephants, which they follow
round the Enclosure, until a mahout,
leaning forward, is able with his BAN
boo pole to slip the moose over one OF
the hind legs. The assistant tugs al
the rope for an instant and drops the
coil on the ground. AS quietly as be-
fore the operation is repeated, and an
other moose is attached to the other leg.
This may sound very easy, but, Judging
from the number of failures, evidently
requires much skill and practice. The
mounted men appear to be absolutely
at the mercy of the wild animals; but,
though it would have been an easy
matter to pull them off, not once did
see the slightest attempt to attack
them, while any one on foot was
promptly chased out.
The poor fellow that has been noosed
seeks refuge in the thick of the herd;
but the mahouts, by milling them
round the kraal, gradually corner him,
and attendants outside the palisade
quickly secure the ropes to the piles or
trees. The animal dashes off in a wild
effort to rejoin the others, and the
shock lifts his hind legs clean off the
ground, or throws him on his knees,
and the creaking of the timbers is MIN
gled with roar Of rage. lie IS allowed
to do his best to get loose; but repeat
ed attempts convince him that 1t is
hopeless, while straining and roaring
soon tire him out. While No. 1 is prov
ing to himself the impossibiity of es-
cape, the tame elephants keep most of
the herd punched together on the other
side of the kraal; but the condition or
the prisoner arouses a good deal OF IN
terest, and he is visited by friends, ac-
tuated either by curiosity or pity, who
look on with puzzled expression and
blow little clouds of dust In the air.
One youngster, that walked up with an
inquiring air, was promptly charged
square in the ribs, and sent rolling on
his back AS he lay there, with his legs
quivering in what seemed death
struggle, many of the Siamese shouted
"tal Taaw"-he Is deadl But the poor
little fellow was only seeing things up
oh
helped him to raise his head or rather
turn it over, he righted himself and
trotted back, believing, to the others.
One can hardly say their massive fea-
lures are expressive; and yet there Is
unduestonably a marked evidence Of
intention, if not in their huge faces,
certainly in their actions.
The captured elephant soon becomes
uuieter and is worked close up to the
piles, where he is again secured with
only a few feet of tether. This though
not devoid of interest, is the slowest
part of the whole show; for it'taSes in
finite time and patience. The trained
tuskers stand round and gradually
crowd him over, but without the least
suspicion of force, IF he makes q
charge for liberty they begin again, and
get on the other side of him as quietly
and unobtrusively as If they had for
gotten his existence. Sometimes FOR
together there is no movement;
but slowly and surely they get him
where he is wanted. Now that he is
tied up short, the next move is to place
a rawhide collar round his neck and
kn I,fT q
three of which are told off for this
work. one on either side, while the
third. standing close behind, vigorous
ly butts him If any attempt Is made to
back out. Forward he cannot go, as
his legs are still secured to the fence
The collar is held open by the
mahouts on each side, who, watching
their opportunity, slip it over the
trunk and then lace the ends together
at the back of the neck. But this is
not accomplished in a minute, nor
resistance from the captive
And it is matter of great difficulty to
dodge the mobile trunk. In fact, in no
case was it done until the animal was
more or less exhausted. While this
was going on, our friend repeatedly put
his trunk down his throat, where he
loaded 1t with water, and then squirted
1t over his back. When he was no
longer able to do this, the mahouts
poured water from bamboo joints on
his head to cool him. An elephants
somewhat resembles that of
camel in having, apart from the diges-
tive cavity, chamber capable OF hold
ing ten gallons of water, which, by Pc
culiar muscular action, he Is able to
to his trunk. The collar being
adjusted is next dashed to
those worn by two of the decoys, and
thus fettered he Is half dragged to the
gate, occasionally being assisted by the
third, who walks in the rear, embrac-
ing with his tusks the hind quarters of
the prisoner Through the gate only
one can pass at a time; but the ropes
are still trailing from his legs, and out
side the walls he is again harnessed up
and marched off to the stables, where
he is firmly secured with his neck close
against a great post let deep in the
ground. 1t has taken an hour and
half's fight against odds of three to one
plus human intelligence to bring him
to this
His exit was followed by unique
sight, that few who witnessed VIII ever