eople have, from time
immemorial, been employed in skinning cattle and making ropes.

All things being prepared for the capture of the elephants, two tame
ones were ridden in by their mahouts, each with an attendant, and
followed by two head men of the noosers--"_cooroowes_," they were
called--eager to capture the first animal on that hunt. Each elephant
had on a collar made of coils of rope of cocoa-nut fibre, from which
hung cords of elks' hides, with a slip knot, or rather noose, at the
end. Operations were now commenced, and most interesting they were.
The chief actors were certainly the tame elephants. Bulbul began by
slowly strolling along, picking a leaf here and there, as if she had
nothing very particular to do. Thus she advanced, till she came close
up to the herd, all of whom came out to meet her in the most friendly
way, seemingly to inquire if she could explain what all the commotion
had been about. Their leader entwined his trunk round hers, and passed
it gently over his head, as if to invite her to join his party.

"Watch the treacherous creature," exclaimed Nowell, laughing. "She
fully intends to betray him, and yet she appears to be captivated by all
the soft things he has been saying to her."

Such, in truth, was the case. She placed herself close to the leader,
but it was to allow the nooser to stoop down under her, and to slip his
noose round the hind foot of the wild one. The rope was very nearly
made fast when the elephant, discovering what had been done, shook it
off, and turned his rage upon the hunter. Had not Bulbul interposed,
the latter would have paid dear for his temerity; and, as it was, he got
an ugly touch of the elephant's foot, which compelled him to creep
limping away out of the wood. Now the cleverest thing was done which we
had yet seen. Bulbul and another elephant were made to advance, and to
place themselves one on each side of the leader of the wild ones. He
did not attempt to run away, but was evidently not very well satisfied
with his company, as he kept moving the weight of his body from foot to
foot, as elephants invariably do when standing still in any doubt or
perplexity.

The second nooser, who was a young active man, now crept in and took the
noose, which hung suspended from Bulbul's collar, and holding it open in
both his hands, slipped it adroitly under the huge hinder leg of the
monster. I was reminded, on seeing the act, of workmen touching the
piston