They swung their arms as they argued.

I don't know what argument it was that finally appealed to the mahouts, but after an interminable session one of them fetched a long rope and nine or ten of them climbed on the backs of three big elephants.

They worked their way a little bit upstream, and then came as close as the elephants dared.

One of the big brutes felt his way cautiously to within twenty yards, and then threw up his trunk and refused to budge another inch.
At that a lean, naked, black man stood up on his rump and paid out the rope down-stream.

He had to make nine or ten attempts before it finally floated within reach of my hand.