looped rope,--a feat I found easy enough in the open
country, but fearfully dangerous in the jungle. A few yards in front of
us was a wild elephant with her young one, both going away in fine style,
the pace being 8 or 9 miles an hour. I was just beginning to appreciate
the sport, and was contemplating hammering my elephant so as to be up
amongst the foremost, when we, in company with about half a dozen others,
suddenly disappeared from the scene. A nullah, or deep drain, hidden in
the long grass, had engulfed elephants and riders. The suddenness of the
shock unseated me, but fortunately I did not lose my hold of the rope,
and more fortunately still my elephant did not roll over, but, balancing
himself on his knees, with the assistance of his trunk, made a violent
effort, and succeeded in getting out of his uncomfortable position.

The main body of the chace had escaped this nullah by going round the top
of it; but we were not so much thrown out as I expected, for we arrived
in time to see the wild elephant charging and struggling in the midst of
her pursuers, who, after several attempts, finally succeeded in noosing
her, and dragging her away in triumph between two tame elephants, each
attached to the wild one by a rope, and pulling different ways whenever
she was inclined to be unmanageable. I was watching the struggles which
the huge beast made, and wondering how the young one, who was generally
almost under the mother, had escaped being crushed in the melee, when a
perfect roll of small arms turned our attention to another quarter, and I
saw an elephant with an imposing pair of tusks charging down upon us
through a square of soldiers, which had just been broken by it, and who
were now taking to the trees in all directions. I ought to remark, lest
the gallant riflemen should be under the imputation of want of valour in
this proceeding, that they were only allowed to fire blank cartridge. The
elephant next to me stood the brunt of the charge, which was pretty
severe, while mine created a diversion by butting him violently in the
side, and, being armed with a formidable pair of tusks, made a
considerable impression; the wild one was soon completely overpowered by
numbers, after throwing up his trunk and charging wildly in all
directions. Of the violence of one of these charges I have retained
visible proof, for a splintered tusk, which had been broken short off in
the combat, was afterwards picked up and given to