Then Little Toomai would climb up to the top of one of the quivering stockade posts , his sun-bleached brown hair flying loose all over his shoulders , and he looking like a goblin in the torch-light . And as soon as there was a lull you could hear his high-pitched yells of encouragement to Kala Nag , above the trumpeting and crashing , and snapping of ropes , and groans of the tethered elephants . `` Mael , mael , Kala Nag ! -LRB- Go on , go on , Black Snake ! -RRB- Dant do ! -LRB- Give him the tusk ! -RRB- Somalo ! Somalo ! -LRB- Careful , careful ! -RRB- Maro ! Mar ! -LRB- Hit him , hit him ! -RRB- Mind the post ! Arre ! Arre ! Hai ! Yai ! Kya-a-ah ! '' he would shout , and the big fight between Kala Nag and the wild elephant would sway to and fro across the Keddah , and the old elephant catchers would wipe the sweat out of their eyes , and find time to nod to Little Toomai wriggling with joy on the top of the posts . He did more than wriggle .
One night he slid down from the post and slipped in between the XXXXX and threw up the loose end of a rope , which had dropped , to a driver who was trying to get a purchase on the leg of a kicking young calf -LRB- calves always give more trouble than full-grown animals -RRB- .
Mar Snake elephant elephants encouragement fight lull post ropes top