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 elephants 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- . Kala Nag saw him , caught him in his trunk , and handed him up to Big Toomai , who slapped him then and there , and put him back on the post . Next morning he gave him a scolding and said , `` Are not good brick elephant lines and a little tent carrying enough , that thou must needs go elephant catching on thy own account , little worthless ? Now those foolish hunters , whose pay is less than my pay , have spoken to Petersen Sahib of the matter . '' Little Toomai was frightened . He did not know much of white men , but Petersen Sahib was the greatest white man in the world to him .
He was the head of all the XXXXX operations -- the man who caught all the elephants for the Government of India , and who knew more about the ways of elephants than any living man .
Arre Hai Keddah Kya-a-ah Maro Sahib Toomai Yai night wriggle