The wild elephant and the method of capturing and taming it in Ceylon . d themselves, as before, abreastof the prisoner on either side, thus enabling Ranghanito stoop under them and noose the two fore-feet as hehad already done die hind; and these ropes being madefast to a tree in front, the capture was complete, andthe tame elephants and keepers withdrew to repeat theoperation on another of the herd. As long as the tame ones stood beside him the pooranimal remained comparatively calm and almost passiveunder his distress, but the moment they moved off,and he was left utterly alone, he made the
The wild elephant and the method of capturing and taming it in Ceylon . d themselves, as before, abreastof the prisoner on either side, thus enabling Ranghanito stoop under them and noose the two fore-feet as hehad already done die hind; and these ropes being madefast to a tree in front, the capture was complete, andthe tame elephants and keepers withdrew to repeat theoperation on another of the herd. As long as the tame ones stood beside him the pooranimal remained comparatively calm and almost passiveunder his distress, but the moment they moved off,and he was left utterly alone, he made the most sur-prising efforts to set himself free and rejoin his com-panions. He felt the ropes with his trunk and tried 126 The Wild Elephant. to untie the numerous knots; he drew backwards tolil)erate his fore-legs, then leaned forward to extricatethe hind ones, till every branch of the tall tree ([uiveredwith his struggles. He screamed in anguish, with hisproboscis raised high in air, then falling on his side helaid his head to the ground, first his cheek and then his. brow, and pressed down his doubled-in trunk as thoughhe would force it into the earth ; then suddenly risinghe balanced himself on his forehead and fore-legs, hold-ing his hind-feet fairly off the ground. This scene ofdistress continued some hours, with occasional pauses ofapparent stupor, after which the struggle was from time Largesse. 127 to time renewed convulsively, and as if by some suddenimpulse; but at last the vain strife subsided, and thepoor animal remained perfectly motionless, the imageof exhaustion and despair. Meanwhile Ranghani presented himself in front ofthe Governors stage to claim the accustomed largessefor tying the first elephant. He was rewarded by a
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidwild, booksubjectelephants
