Page:Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian.djvu/110

91 elephants do not approach this trap in the day- time, but they enter it at night, going in one by one. ^ When all have passed the entrance, the men secretly close it up ; then, introducing the strongest of the tame fighting elephants, they fight it out with the wild ones, whom at the same time they enfeeble with hunger. •When the latter are now overcome with fa- tigue, the boldest of the drivers dismount un- observed, and esich man creeps under his own elephant, and from this position creeps under the belly of the wild elephant and ties his feet together. ' When this is done they incite the tame ones to beat those whose feet are tied till they fall to the ground. They then bind the wild ones and the tame ones together neck to neck with thongs of raw ox-hide. * To pre- vent them shaking themselves in order to throw off those who attempt to mount them, they make cuts all round their neck and then put thongs of leather into the incisions, so that the pain obliges them to submit to their fetters and to remain quiet. From the number caught they reject such as are too old or too young to be serviceable, and the rest they lead away to the stables. Here they tie their feet one to another, and fasten their necks to a firmly fixed pillar, and tame them by hunger. ^° After this they restore their strength with green reeds and grass. They next teach them to be obedient, which they effect by soothing them, some by