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The original of this book is in
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http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924002891863

The Life of an Elephant

“CIONaY ceaivMadd “NodNoT

or

s PAYDAY 2, PIPOYD PYp UP 7H Pp PUMDS e/a

The
Life of an Elephant

By
S. Eardley-Wilmot, K.C.LE.

Author of ‘The Life of a Tiger,’ ‘Forest Life and
Sport in India,’ etc.

Illustrated
by

Iris Eardley-Wilmot

LONDON
EDWARD ARNOLD
1912

All ven reserved

@ALSS

CHAPTER

INTRODUCTION

THE ARRIVAL OF THE HERD
BirTH OF THE CaLr -

EARLY EXPERIENCES -

THE MONARCHS OF THE HERD
Captivity -

In TRAINING FOR WoRK

A CHANGE oF MASTERS

In TRAINING FOR SPORT

THE KHEDDAH

HuntTING SCENES

SomE DANGERS OF THE FOREST
PRocessionaL DUTIES -

THE END -

107

136
147

162

173

LIST OF PLATES

THEY CAME TO REST ON THE CROWDED AND

BUSY WATERS Frontispiece
CoLUMNS OF FoG ROSE Jating page 10
THE OTHER ELEPHANTS WITH WHOM HE WAS

ASSOCIATED 80
ALONG THE SIDE OF THE RIVER WERE CROWDED

TEMPLES 92
FIRES WERE AGAIN LIT TO COOK THE MorNING MEAL 102
THE ELEPHANTS WERE CAPARISONED FOR A

SHOOTING PARTY 110
As DAYLIGHT APPEARED OVER THE HILLS AND THE

Sun’s Rays STRUCK IN SLANTING LINES 122

A MAN, SEATED HIGH ON A PLATFORM, WAS
WATCHING FOR NOCTURNAL ROBBERS 168

THE SNAKE UNCOILED HIMSELF

INTRODUCTION

HERE are three animals which have
responded in a superlative degree to
attempts to make them the servants and friends
of man—the horse, the dog and the elephant ;
the two former are found in more or less
domestic intimacy all over the world; the dog
having the advantage that his size enables him
in all climates to be companionable; while, in
those countries only where it is possible to live
a life in the open, the horse has an almost
equal chance in this respect. The bulk of the
elephant, on the other hand, is destructive of
familiarity ; it is not everyone who can main-
tain a stud, or even one of these animals, so
that those who have passed many years in
their company are few compared with the
owners of dogs and horses. All the more
reason, then, that the elephant in his aspect

x Introduction

of servant and friend to man should receive
due recognition before the spread of civilisa-
tion, absorbing the waste lands and primeval
forests of the East, shall result in finding for
him no more use and therefore no more
room.

The record of the elephant is in no way
inferior to that of the horse or dog. In
agriculture and commerce he has, like them,
been used in tilling the soil and in transporting
merchandise; and, like them, also has carried
out this work in conditions which have made
him almost indispensable.

In the field of sport he has proved his
value; and in real warfare, from the period
when, covered with chain armour, he bore the
castellated howdah into battle, or battered in
the great gates of a citadel, to the time when
he dragged the siege guns into position, he
has never, when ridden by a trusty driver,
flinched from wounds or death in the service
of man. Of the horse and dog as well as of
the elephant it may be said that they have

failed at times in moments of difficulty. So

Introduction xi

also has man, and perhaps chiefly for the same
reason,—that the leader or rider was not
trusted, that he has communicated his fear or
indecision by voice, by pressure of knees or
hands, and that, in this absence of authority,
each was free to follow natural instincts which
before were under control.

It is a common saying in India that an
elephant once mauled by a tiger is ever after
useless for sport; it is also the fashion to
assert that the sporting elephant has nothing
to fear from a tiger. Both of these statements
are far from the truth. When man, with the
aid of a line of elephants, is engaged in putting
a tiger to death, retaliation on his part is
practically out of the question; but it is another
matter when a single elephant proposes to
drive a wounded tiger out of high grass where
he lies invisible and can choose his own oppor-
tunity for assault. In such cases a female
elephant has no weapons of defence, and the
male only in cases where a frontal attack is
delivered ; while both are prevented by careful

training from taking any initiative whatever

xii Introduction

either in self-defence or flight. In these
circumstances, when an elephant has been so
torn. and mangled by a tiger that recovery is
not completed till after three or four months
of careful attention, and at the time has shown
no fear, and later on has shown no disinclina-
tion to carry its rider into similar danger, it
may be inferred that this forest tribe does
not fail in courage such as would be considered
specially worthy of praise in the dog and quite
extraordinary in the horse. Cases are known
where a dog has attacked a tiger, and a horse
has been used even to drive him off his kill,
but it is probable that careful search would
have to be made in the annals of sport before
many authentic cases could be produced to
show that either of these animals, after being
wounded well nigh to death, has cheerfully
taken a similar risk after recovery.

As to sagacity, the elephant need fear no
rival in horse or dog. Here he has the
advantage of possessing a hand, which they
have not. With it he can pick up by suction
the smallest object, or carry a log weighing

Introduction xiii

many hundredweights; with it he can either
caress or slay; and with it he can break down
stout trees or extract the stone from a peach
without losing a particle of the pulp. A well-
trained horse will lie down at the word of
command and afford shelter to his master ;
a well-trained dog will retrieve his master’s
property and deliver it when ordered; an
elephant will do both, and more. He will
assist his rider to mount and dismount either
by raising and lowering him on his trunk, or
by bending fore or hind-leg to form a step.
He will pass under an obstacle ‘‘on all fours”
if it be too low to permit of his standing
upright; he will suffer severe operations
without being chloroformed or bound, when a
blow from foot or trunk would put a summary
end to surgical interference. Those who have
witnessed the extraction of an elephant’s molar
tooth by means of a crow-bar and mallet, who
have assisted at the opening of a deep-seated
ulcer, and have seen the suffering of the
animal expressed only in tears and groans,
will place him for sagacity and forbearance in a

xiv Introduction

class above that which any other domesticated
animal can hope to reach.

But while the elephant has one thing in
common with other domestic animals, namely,
that his obedience and affection can be won
only with kindness, he also possesses the
characteristic of long-remembered resentment
for any wanton injury or insult. It is almost as
if the attitude of this animal towards man were
that of gratitude, expressed in willing service,
for kindness received, and intolerance of in-
justice. The natural ferocity inborn in all wild
animals, with whom self-preservation must be
the first law, is with him only latent. It may,
and sometimes does burst forth on occasions,
which on enquiry are often found to be almost
justifiable; for here it is not a case of long
descent from domesticated forefathers, but, as
a rule, a sudden change in the individual from
independence to slavery, which makes the
results attained even more astounding.

There are vicious elephants, as there are
vicious horses and dogs. Such can never be

trained to the use of mankind. They are

Introduction XV

instances of a perverted nature, often perhaps
the result of brain or other hidden troubles;
and their removal is indicated for the welfare
of those around them. Thus it was in former
years that the country-bred horse of India
deserved a bad name for kicking and biting
whenever opportunity occurred; that the dog
of the East was a treacherous and snarling
beast, an outcast from the homes of men; and
thus it is that now, when the example of the
West has shown what can be done in the
alteration of these evil traits, the animals
concerned are losing their vicious attributes
and thereby increasing their value as servants
of man.

The sportsman in the East is happy when
he can add to two faithful friends—the horse
and the dog—a third in the elephant. As he
emerges from his tent with his favourite terrier
bounding by his side and his favourite horse
whinnying at his approach, he is proud of the
affection and confidence shown him. There
is perhaps a still deeper feeling when his

elephant gurgles with pleasure as he comes

xvi Introduction

closer, and without word of command at once
commences to kneel down so that he may
mount; for here is an animal who has tasted
of the pleasures of a free life, whose strength
and sagacity are such that obedience cannot
be compelled, and who yet places himself
entirely at the disposal of man, content with
fair treatment, and instantly responsive to

kindness in word or deed.

CHAPTER I
The Arrival of the Herd

YHE summit of the hill was crowned with

a grove of lofty trees. They had stood

thus for centuries, opposing their columned
strength against wind and storms, against the
onslaught of tropical rainfall, even in spite of
earth tremors that made them shiver with
apprehension. Their crowns were interlaced,
so that they must stand or fall together ; it was
an effective alliance against the forces of nature,
which no single tree could hope to withstand.
Within the grove, where the buttressed
trunks rose suddenly from the soft
earth, stood an ancient shrine,
a hermit’s cell with rough
stone walls, and a little
temple in whose dim recesses

might be seen vaguely some
A

2 The Life of an Elephant

symbol of a demon or god, unknown perhaps to
the outside world, but appealing to the hearts of
the jungle folk, who, suffering patiently as the
animals suffer, like them also blindly sought
relief. That rugged track, which led from the
hill-top into the depth of the forest below, had
been marked out by the feet of the votaries of
the shrine, who each, as he left after suppli-
cation, cast a stone on the slowly growing
mounds at the entrance to the grove.

From the hill-top the forest spread on all
sides as far as the eye could reach, and it lost
itself in the distant horizon where the purple
outline of the hills faded into the azure of the
evening sky. There was wave upon wave
of hills covered with trees, so that the earth
lay hidden, and down in the valleys one saw
nothing but the crowns of trees forming an
impenetrable carpet of foliage; only along the
ridges the light filtered in vertical streaks
through the closed-up ranks of tree trunks. If
there were villages they were hidden in masses
of trees ; the forest engulfed them and reigned
supreme in this lonely corner of the earth.

The Arrival of the Herd 3

The sun sank,
and the brilliant
light of day was
followed by the
soft illumination

of the stars. The forest became dim and
indefinite amid an intense and motionless
silence. There was no sound of wind, or of
animal life; the dew had not begun to drip
from the foliage, and each leaf was still as if
arrested in its task. Yet there was no sense
of fear or oppression: rather the atmosphere
was charged with the vitality of countless
millions of plants rejoicing in their growth,

struggling against the competition of their

4 The Life of an Elephant

neighbours, and seizing every chance which
offered to reach towards the life-giving
light.

At such a time there came upon any human
being dwelling in the forest, first, a conviction
of nature’s absolute indifference to his pro-
ceedings, and next, the peace conferred by
personal irresponsibility, to which, if a man
succumbs, he joins the vast army of hermits,
religious mendicants, and other parasites ;
while, if he resists, he is left to work out a
strenuous existence in conflict with the wild
beasts and against the pressure of overwhelming
vegetation.

As night drew on the cooler air became
charged with moisture and wrapped itself in
mist. The leaves of the forest trees were
weighted with the dampness they exuded; it
no longer passed away in invisible vapour, but
trickled earthwards in heavy splashes, like the
sullen sound of windless rain. From hundreds
of miles of forest came the sound of dripping
water in a ceaseless murmur, which increased
the weirdness of the scene, and even served to

The Arrival of the Herd 5

make any other sound more distinct. Thus
it was that a movement became audible in
the distance, at first so slight as to be indis-
tinguishable; it was as if foliage was being
quietly brushed aside, as if the dew-laden grass
was being crushed by a gentle yet irresistible
force. Standing on the summit of the hill, one

looked down on a pass between the mountains,

yr a curved
= At Ca > saddle that
ie i Xs 1325 . .
—— Wh invited to
oe: .
eae - an easier
passage

from valley

to valley.
Over this low pass the waves
of mist eddied to and fro,
just as if each valley in turn
filled with cloud and over-
o flowed into the next.
“ From the depths below a
& b herd of elephants were ascend-
& ing the pass in single file and
©) C in silence. The leader, an

6 The Life of an Elephant

old female, first

appeared in

sight, walking

quickly along

the narrow trail. Her

trunk hung limply from
§ her broad forehead, touching
the earth lightly alternately

(A to right and to left, and with

: instant precision the forefoot
Kuss was placed on the spot which
had been tested, and the
oval print of the hind foot immediately over-
lapped the rounder track. She passed through
the eddies of fog, which at times seemed to
swallow her up, at others allowed
but the glistening outline of her
back to become visible; or again
hid all but the ponderous legs
which moved with _ regularity
through the dim air.

Following, came others who
seemed careless of danger through confidence
in their leader. Each set foot in the trail of

The Arrival of the Herd 7

its predecessor, so that soon there was but one
track sunk deep in the soft earth, as if some
old-time mammoth of enormous size

had passed that way. Females, young ie ‘
calves, youthful tuskers, all passed in &,

succession, each rising into sight and
disappearing over the narrow pass,
plunged into obscurity on the further

side. There was silence in the ranks,

for the animals were on the march, ry
intent on changing their quarters ere Dy
dawn should break. They might have .
been so travelling for hours, and might
continue their resistless way for many more ere
they halted thirty or forty miles from their
starting point.

Some hours later there was promise of day-
light in the sky. The mist now lay thicker
over the forest, it had sunk into impenetrable
strata which rested heavily on the land.
Above its sharp upper line the tops of hills
stood out like islands in a sea of white; along
the ridges the crowns of trees appeared as
if floating in the waves, their stems were

8 The Life of an Elephant

hidden in the fog. Again a movement was
heard, and from below a single elephant
approached, carelessly follow-
ing in the trail of the herd.
As he gained the top of the

pass he stood motionless, save

for the twitching of the ex-
tended trunk, which sucked up the air and
brought him such information as he required
as to his surroundings. He stood, black as
ebony against the white of the mist, on short
stout legs with heavy bulk of body and straight
back. His forehead was broad, and the huge
trunk tapered away so that its fingered end
lay on the ground at his feet. Two sharp
and thick tusks gleamed below the intelligent
hazel eyes that looked calmly from between the
shaggy eyelashes.

With body glistening with moisture and
reflecting the growing light in undulating
patches, the tusker turned and disappeared
over the pass into the mist below, and as he
went the sun rose over the distant horizon and
changed the calm sea of snow into ripples of

The Arrival of the Herd 9

rose and pearl, agitated by the breath of dawn
and stirred by the growing warmth. Here and
there columns of fog rose, to be dissipated in
the clearer air; on all sides, as when the
tide ebbs on a summer day, the mist receded ;
the islands became mountains once more, the
floating tree-tops were again anchored to the
solid ground, and before long, save in hidden
depths of the forest, the heated air had absorbed
all visible moisture, the leaves of countless
plants again began to draw up water from the
soil and to give out vapour.

It was while this change was proceeding that
a man emerged from the darkness of the
hermit’s cell and stood blinking at the dawn.
Belated, he had evidently passed the night in
the security of stone walls in the absence of
their usual tenant. The man was of small
stature but heavily built; his dress consisted of
a short cotton jacket and a loin-cloth tightly
drawn. Arms and legs were bare, showing the
firm muscles and the bronze-coloured skin : his
long hair was collected in a twist at the back
of the head, and secured by a silver pin. For

10 The Life of an Elephant

weapons he carried in his hand an ancient
single-barrel musket; while, thrust into the
loin-cloth at his back, was a heavy, but sheath-
less, knife whose handle protruded conveniently
to the grasp of his right hand. As to beauty
of features this being possessed none: but his
eyes were wide-set and clear, and in demeanour
and movement he gave the instantaneous im-
pression of physical endurance and courage.
Turning to the east, he saluted the rising sun,
as if to give thanks that the hours of darkness
were past, then, making obeisance to the wood-
land shrine, he strode with easy, elastic tread
to the pass below.

Long before he had reached its summit he
was aware that elephants had passed in the
night; instinctively he had estimated the
number of the herd and of its various members,
and he knew that the herd-bull had followed
but lately on the trail of his harem. For a few
moments he also stood looking into the valley
from whence the fogs of night had now re-
treated, and then, following the trail, he was

swallowed up in the mass of vegetation below,

‘“COLUMNS OF FOG ROSE.”

The Arrival of the Herd II

just as an emmet might disappear in a sea of.
grass. Above, a breeze began to blow from
the north-east, and fleecy clouds were forming
on the horizon. An eagle swung over the
forest, searching the open spaces for unsus-
picious prey. Insects passed humming in
busiest flight, but the forest beneath lay dark
and unmoved, save that the upper foliage was
ruffled with the wind.

oa
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Cr
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. gion

CHAPTER II
Birth of the Calf

HERE was no difficulty in
following the trail. It stretched
away through the forest in a curving
line, the brown earth showing darkly
against the green of the herbage,
avoiding the stems of the tall trees
which reached one hundred feet and
ps more towards the sky,

Ts forming a lane through

the rank vegetation,

eS and marked here and
< there by overturned

cae bamboo clumps _— or
6) splintered saplings.
The man kept to one
side of the deeply
indented footmarks, for

Birth of the Calf 13

these were so widely spaced that over them
it was impossible to maintain the easy stride
with which he passed through the forest ;
his only care was to observe in time any
deviation from the trail by some member of
the herd, so that he might not find himself
suddenly ambuscaded, or taken unawares.
The trees were still dripping with moisture
though the sun was half-way to the zenith ;
the buttressed and fluted stems stood singly
or in small groups, with broad-leaved crowns
enjoying the light, while below them a mass
of lesser stems of bamboos, of bushes and of
grass all strove as far as they might towards
the source of life.

Around the stems giant climbers had
worked their spirals upwards, deeply indenting
the tender bark and in some cases suffocating
the tree with luxuriant foliage; or epiphytic
fig-trees had encased their hosts with tight-
fitting jackets of wood, from which there
was no escape. It was piteous to picture the
struggles of these forest giants against the

parasites, to contemplate the helplessness of

14 The Life of an Elephant

these fine examples of the noblest form of
vegetation.

It was when the heat of the sun was making
itself felt that the trail seemed to disappear,
to break up into branches too numerous to
follow. The man cast around for the foot-
marks of the herd-bull, and followed in these
with the greatest caution
and stealth He had not
far to go. Ata few hundred
yards he detected the ele-
phant standing motionless

in the shade of a clump
of bamboos, and returning,
followed the general direction taken by the
herd with an easier mind. They were resting
in a small clearing in the forest by a pool of
stagnant water, throwing the wet, cool earth
over head and back, the while plucking up
the grasses, brushing away the clinging soil
by beating the stems against the forefoot and
then biting off the succulent roots and casting
to one side the withered stalks.

All told, there must have been some forty

Birth of the Calf 15

animals in the herd, consisting of half-grown
elephants of both sexes, of mature females and
of quite young
calves. Of these
latter some were
lying down as if
weary after the

long ~~ march,

others were tor-
menting their mothers for food, but nowhere
did there seem to be any apprehension of
evil, and the man, from a distance of some
fifty yards, was able to make his observations
undisturbed. Without alarming the herd, he
also withdrew to a safe distance, then, with
one enquiring glance towards the sky, which
seemed to afford him instantaneous information
as to his whereabouts, he struck into the forest,
taking a bee-line for his home.

His progress at first was but slow; he was
impeded by the luxuriance of the vegetation,
and had to stoop to avoid overhanging boughs,
or to climb over fallen stems; but after an

hour or so of this work he emerged on a

16 The Life of an Elephant

narrow footway, a beaten track between the
scattered villages, and started running with
pattering feet and with that renewal of con-
fidence which evidence of the neighbourhood
of fellow men seems to give to human beings,
sometimes quite unjustifiably. The sun was
well on the downward path before the man,

= ue

‘ alee
Po she an efi ity' tet alt I
Fi da dvenectil y

ee : ws << a = eZ

Se > Wy
anh a Hi at 4 i Hy i V)
aN iH i‘ eo

SSS

itt:

hungry and weary, observed smoke, the proof
of the dominance of man over beast, rise in
the clear sky. He crossed a stream on a
narrow bridge of bamboo, and before him stood
the fence of a stockaded village.

From the inside of the fence proceeded the
barking of dogs and the lowing of cattle, the
laughter and talking of those engaged in

Birth of the Calf ay

cooking the evening meal; from the outside
was visible nothing but a wall of interlaced
bamboos whose sharpened ends would make
an attempt at escalade extremely unpleasant.
The man turned and followed the fence till he
reached a gateway, flanked on either side by
a small watch tower, while between these a
massive door, now open, hung on primitive
hinges. He entered, and before him stretched
the main street of the village, muddy and
uncared for; on each side were small huts
raised on piles some five feet from the ground,
with wide verandahs and walls and roofs of
bamboo matting. Beneath
these huts lay heaps of refuse % es wey
amongst which dogs and 3) . Syn Ly.
fowls hunted for appetising A i
morsels. Above, the women aa
sat at small hand-looms or otherwise employed
in domestic labour, while children, stark naked,
rolled or gambolled on the slippery floors.

In these days of civilization, when man has
become dependent for his comfort, even for

his existence, upon the exertions of others, it
B

18 The Life of an Elephant

was interesting to wander through the abode
of a self-supporting community such as this.
There was not a man amongst them who
could not have wrested a living from nature ;
the village fields and the wide forests supplied
the raw material for every necessity of life; the
conversion of this material into products fit
for use was carried out more or less in each
household. Of domestic animals there were few.
The buffaloes, but half-tamed and with horns
so enormous that heads were held sideways
when secured under one yoke, dragged the
ploughs through the muddy rice-fields or drew
the carts along the jungle tracks. Their coming
was heralded with the most appalling and dis-
cordant sounds, intentionally caused by the
grinding of wooden axles in wooden wheels,
and designed to drive off hostile beasts or
spirits. When the light work of a few months
was over, the buffaloes were driven into the
forest, to be rounded up when wanted, often
to the danger of the limbs or even lives of
the owners.

The rice, when harvested, was husked by the

Birth of the Calf 19

women, who were also experts in preparing
condiments of fish or vegetables to savour their
monotonous food. It was the women also who
wove the cloths of cotton or silk, who cured
the tobacco on the bamboo frames, who rolled
the big cigars in the tender sheath of the
growing bamboo. For the men remained the
more arduous tasks of building and repairing
the homestead, and of defending the village
from man or beast. Each carried the heavy
knife of the country, so balanced in its handle
that it seemed to guide the hand that swung
it in its deadly work. Yet with it at one
moment the owner would be felling bamboos
of a foot circumference at one blow, or at the
next be opening a green coco-nut to drink
the cooling milk, or peeling with care a pine-
apple as with a silver knife. The ever-present
bamboo was put to a hundred uses; they wove
it into baskets to hold many bushels of grain,
or into others so fine that they might be folded
flat without injury; from the bamboo they
constructed matting cool and polished to the
feet, vessels for storing drinking water, even

20 The Life of an Elephant

into receptacles in which rice could be cooked
on emergency.

Where civilized man would go naked and
hungry, these people lived in comfort, alert
and deeply versed in these matters which were
of immediate importance to their existence,
for it was only through their intimate acquaint-

ance with wild nature around them that they

fH f}

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Ro aimee
Samm

For 11 RR WAYS eS

Wy ATCA IA a a 77, Zi At MN: iy \ x
\S

VT) ee uyyyyt
hi “i,

could hope to overcome the forces arrayed
against them. And yet, in the midst of what
some might consider ignorance and savagery,
there were ample signs of discipline and
charity. To one side of the village stood the
monastery, built of teak-wood and adorned
with artistic carvings, the labour of love of the
charitable. Around its courts of well-beaten

clay stood fruit-trees carefully tended and

Birth of the Calf 21

generous in their return of fruit and shade ;
and here a few monks led a life of retirement
and introspection. Each morning they passed
through the village clad in robes of saffron,
holding the bowls which were eagerly filled
with choice morsels for the midday meal;
every day the boys of the village sat in rows
on the polished floors of the dim hall, and
learnt to read and write, imbibing at the same
time the ancient precepts of hospitality and
goodwill to mankind. :

The monastery was never silent. During
the day there was the chatter of the children
or the sing-song reading from the old books ;
during the evening the gongs
were sending ripples of sound
through the warm air. Even
at night, when all slept, the
tinkling of the pagoda bells
rose and fell with the passing
breezes; and when the day
broke and the sun suddenly
leaped from the horizon the
gilded peepul leaves, which struck

22 The Life of an Elephant

the tiny notes, flashed with every eddy in the
breeze.

The house of the headman of the village
was noticeable for its superior size and cleanli-
ness. It stood towards
the centre of the village,
and near the travellers’
shelter, where all who
journeyed were welcome

to rest and break their

fast. To one side, under
a small open shed, stood the war drum, a vast
metal bowl covered with skin, whose sonorous
booming in olden times re-echoed through the
hills when the clans were called to battle, but
which was now used chiefly as an alarm in
case of fire or of attack from midnight robbers.
At its sound every able-bodied man would
seize his arms and rally to the call, while
women and children would take whatever
weapon came to hand, spear or knife, and,
pulling up the ladder affording access to the
homestead, would defend themselves as best

they might against intruders. Here, too, the

Birth of the Calf 23

man made his report of elephants in the
neighbourhood, and here we may leave him
to food and rest in his home.

Meanwhile the herd of elephants, finding
food, shade and water in the vicinity, spread
themselves at ease over the country with no
intention of travelling during the ensuing night.
One amongst them there was who had roamed
uneasily during the day, avoiding her fellows,
seeking vaguely for retirement in some spot
sheltered and secure. Annoyed by the busy
idleness of the herd, she wandered to a distance,
and as evening fell found herself alone ; at her
back a perpendicular rock, still festooned with
moss and ferns, before her a tangle of bamboos
from which issued stems of straight trees whose
leafy crowns gave promise of shelter from the
midday sun.

As morning dawned with tropical haste a
bear came sauntering past the spot, self-
absorbed, as is the custom of his tribe, thinking
solely of the good fortune of the past night
when he had found abundance of fruit, longing
for his lair where he might doze and drowse

24 The Life of an Elephant

through the daylight hours. To him came
suddenly a loud hissing sound, followed by the
thud of a heavy blow on the earth. He leapt
to one side with an agility remarkable in one
so clumsily built, and saw within a few yards
an elephant standing with its back to a rock, at
its feet a huddled mass which he suspected to
be a new-born calf. He did not stay to in-
vestigate. With a bound he hurled himself
into the underwood, and, as the noise of his
headlong flight died away in the forest, the
elephant commenced to rumble deeply with a
sound like the purrings of some gigantic cat,
undecided whether to be pleased or angry.
The calf lay extended at his mother’s feet,
under the shelter of her head and trunk, as yet
too weak to rise; from time to time she waved
the flies away with her trunk or gently kicked
the soft earth so that it fell in light showers on
his body. On such occasions her foot struck
the ground so near to the reclining calf that
one could not but wonder at the extreme
accuracy of her movements, an accuracy which

in the human race is only acquired by the

Birth of the Calf 25

constant application to some one handicraft.
She had stood thus for some hours and would
so stand for many more, without food save such
as she might reach from her post of sentinel ;
not until the calf was able to take nourishment
would she move from the spot, lest harm should
befall the helpless young. It was not, in fact,
till the commencement of the second day that
the calf uttered grunts and
murmurs of discontent, and
then his mother raised him to

his feet by aid of trunk and

forefoot, and so guided his
trembling limbs and supported
him till he found the udders pendent from
the breast and gained strength as he satisfied
his hunger.

And so the days passed in feeding and
sleeping, the mother always within sight or
hearing of her young, always ready to face
any odds in its protection, returning to its side
whenever any suspicious sound reached her
ears, or when the wind brought notice of the
approach of any man or any beast that might

26 The Life of an Elephant

be harmful, till, at the end of ten days, the
calf was able to walk, to follow his mother
for short distances at a time, then lie down
to sleep while she satisfied her hunger. She,
still full of maternal care, moved persistently,
yet slowly, in the direction followed by the
herd, hoping soon to overtake them and so
profit by the protection their numbers afforded,
and she had indeed nearly attained her object
without mishap when an adventure occurred
which might have altered the whole course of
this narrative.

One morning, aware of the proximity of the
herd, and intending to join them during the
day, the elephant was grazing on the bamboo
shoots and grass, not far from the spot where
her calf was lying, when her sensitive nostrils
gave notice of danger. She waved her trunk
in the direction of the wind, inhaling deeply,
then strode hurriedly
to where her calf was
hidden, standing over
him as he lay. The
next moment a tigress

Birth of the Calf 27

appeared on the scene, lean and anxious look-
ing, seemingly pressed by hunger, evidently,
too, the mother of young
cubs whose increasing de- vey
mands for food had to be NN
satished. In point of fact

the animal was starving: for

days she had been unsuccessful in the hunt, and
she must eat or die, and with her her helpless
family. She had scented the presence of the
young calf, and thus it was that nature in its
cruelty had ordained that the love of these
mothers for their offspring should lead up to a
struggle which must end in the slaying of one
family, yet resulting in no apparent good.
The tigress walked slowly round the elephant,
continually decreasing the distance between
them, her object being to drive off the mother
and then kill the defenceless calf. The ele-
phant also turned slowly, keeping her head to
the foe. Soon the tigress made a rush towards
the calf, and was met by a kick from the
elephant’s hind leg, which staggered her for the

moment and made her resume her prowl in the

28 The Life of an Elephant

hope of finding some better opening for attack.
The duel proceeded in silence, and gradually an
arena was formed in the forest, a circle of
trampled grass where no concealment was
possible. Several times the tigress made on-
slaughts, only to be repulsed, and, at the last,
savage at her ill-success, she bounded at the
elephant’s head, clasping her with armed fore-
paws, burying her fangs in the soft flesh at the
base of the trunk ; scratching wildly at fore-legs
with her hind claws, hoping that she could drag
the elephant to earth and inflict such painful
injuries that she would desert her young. The
elephant flinched under the attack, and then
stood firm. Maddened with pain and fear she
knelt and tried to crush the adversary with her
weight, but the tigress held firmly, and, with
the purchase gained, pulled violently to one
side in the attempt to throw the elephant. She,
despairing, rose to her feet, rushed blindly
forward in the desire to get rid of this rending,
biting torment, and so by good fortune hurled
herself full against the stem of a stout tree.
She felt the tigress crushed against her bony

Birth of the Calf 29

forehead, and the grip relaxed; again she
butted with her full strength, and the enemy
fell limply at her feet. Then, possessed solely
by the fury of battle and of pain, she stamped
on the still writhing body, crushing it to a pulp,
kicking it till but a muddy mass remained to
show her victory. At last, streaming with blood,
trembling with excitement, she returned to her
calf, feeling it over with her wounded trunk,
satisfying herself that it had suffered no harm.
That evening, the elephant, scarred with
many wounds, now plastered with clay to keep
off the attacks of flies, rejoined
her tribe after many days of
danger and tribulation, and felt

once more in the safety of

home. But the tigress’s cubs

were calling for their mother, till their feeble
cries died away in a whimpering protest as the
weakness and pain of starvation gradually

overcame them.

CHAPTER III
Early Experiences

URING the absence of

the elephant and her calf
, the herd had not remained
if i7~— unmolested. Beyond the

intrusion of man, _ its
members had little to fear in
the vast jungles in which they
roamed: and man was such an
infrequent visitor that of him
== they felt little dread. They
came, indeed, most often into
contact with him when they entered his
special domain : the level, fruitful lands around
the villages, where the rice rose from the
stagnant water in golden ranks, each ear
gracefully bending with the weight of grain;
where the plantain groves reared ragged leaves

Early Experiences 31

against the sky, and the tender green of the
young shoots sheltered in the protection of
the juicy stems. Rice

and plantains were well
worth the risk
of a midnight
foray in the
hopes that the
owners would
not wake
during the
spoliation and_ inter-
fere to protect their
property with torches,
guns and drums, all
more disagreeable than terrible to the robbers.
In their own domain in the primeval forest, the
elephants took little notice of human beings ;
certainly some morose tusker, or mother with
calf at foot, might resent too near an approach,
or, if stumbled upon inadvertently, would
brush the intruder away with a brusqueness
that meant death; otherwise, in the forest, man

was not a force to be seriously reckoned with ;

32 The Life of an Elephant

and this fact, perhaps, rendered it easier for
man to take toll of the herd from time to
time.

For in this country the elephant was valuable
as a slave; in his youth he could convey his
master across the pathless swamps, and as he

became stronger he could carry loads
ie of unhusked rice from the homestead
to the waterways; when mature he
could assist in dragging timber to the
streams, and in relieving the jams of

floating logs caused by the violence
of the monsoon floods; and, if he
developed into a heavy animal with perfect
tusks, he could be employed in the timber
yards to carry or move logs of tons in weight,
and might even later on be selected to bear
in procession or on shooting trips those whom
men permit to be rulers over them. And
all this service was exacted in return for
simple board and lodging, which in youth cost
nothing, and later on a sum, if insignificant,
yet given grudgingly, solely for the purpose
of maintaining the health and physique of

Early Experiences 33

a valuable servant. When young the elephant,
after a day’s work, was turned loose in a
forest with a heavy iron chain
attached to one leg, whereby
his movements left a_ trail
easily followed by his owner.
As his labour and time became
more valuable, food of the
cheapest would be brought to

him, and when older he would
probably be given a weekly ration of wheaten
cakes, of sugar or butter to assist in appeasing
his growing appetite.

Thus it was that one morning before the
sudden dawn had sprung into the sky, at the
stillest hour, when man is yet asleep, and when
animals are seeking their rest, the village gate
was opened, and a tiny party of two elephants
and four men passed out into the dimness of
the forest and disappeared from sight. On the
narrow path the feet of the elephants made
no sound; from time to time in passing under
the arched bamboos a stem was struck and

instantly responded with a shower of dew,
c

34 The Life of an Elephant

drenching both the elephants and their riders ;
or grass, whose flowering tops were weighted
with moisture, was
brushed aside as
the party made its
way through the
dripping forest.
The sun was well
up when a halt was
made at the edge
of a forest glade,
and the simple
equipment of the

hunters could be

observed. Each
man carried a heavy knife whose handle pro-
truded from the tightly-drawn loin-cloth within
ready reach of his right hand. Other weapons
or clothing they had none, now that the cotton
coverlet had been thrown aside. For im-
plements of the chase each elephant carried a
stout and long rope of fibre, twisted from the
inner bark of trees, and with this outfit the men

proposed to capture some half-grown elephant

Early Experiences 35

from the herd, and bring it to the village to be
trained for use and subsequent sale.

Leaving one man on each elephant, the other
two commenced searching the soft soil for fresh
tracks, and after a few minutes started away at
a quick walk, followed at a distance by their
companions. For miles they proceeded in a
series of twists and turns, passing as they went
evidence of the grazing of the herd in broken
branches, uprooted grasses, and overturned
bamboos, and it was not until they were within
a hundred yards of the elephants that they
halted to reconnoitre the ground and to as-
certain if any of the animals were of size
suitable for their purpose. A decision seemed
soon to be arrived at, and, the trackers
mounting, the tame elephants were
urged in the direction of a half-
grown animal which stood on the
outskirts of the tree forest. Little
suspecting the attempt to be made

on his liberty, the victim moved
away as the intruders approached him; he was

nervous but not apprehensive; but on being

36 The Life of an Elephant

followed and disturbed time after time he
became alarmed, and commenced to run
through the forest to shake
off his pursuers. They
followed with the ease of
animals who were in hard
training through years of

labour and scanty food ; in-
crease the speed as he would they were still
pressing on him; if he threatened to charge
they evaded him to right and left, only to close
up again behind him; and so, separated from
the herd, with terror in his heart and trembling
with exhaustion and thirst, he still plodded
along in front, with the hunt inexorably follow-
ing his footsteps, permitting no halt to rest
or drink, but
persistently

keeping him
on the move
through long
hours. Atlast
despair took

possession of

Early Experiences ay

the hunted; he turned and stood silent in the
shade of a large tree, indifferent to a fate he
felt powerless to escape from.

The hunters approached softly on either side
of him, and in silence allowed the hunting
elephants to caress the captive and soothe his
fears; he made no response, either of anger
or impatience, till the ropes were secured round
his neck and he was invited to proceed with his
captors. Then once more, when too late, he
made an effort for freedom, rushing wildly to
every side, to be checked each time by the
ropes attached to the elephants, finally throw-
ing himself on the ground and lying there
immovable, irresponsive to the pricks of sharp
knives, to shouts and exhortations, not yielding
till the last weapon of man, in the shape of a
burning torch of dried grass, was brought close
to his body. Then with instinctive dread he
rose suddenly to his feet and dragged his
captors away with him in hasty flight, till,
breathless, he again surrendered and moved
quietly in whichever direction the party
proceeded,

38 The Life of an Elephant

They had no wish to meet the startled herd,
least of all to come within reach of the herd-bull,
who might annihilate without difficulty the whole
of the encumbered procession. By devious
routes, carefully prospecting the ground, they
arrived at the footpath leading to the village, and
in single file and in silence proceeded on their
way. It was sunset by the time they entered
the gate, and, passing up the main street, arrived
at a curious cage-like construction whose wide-
eaved roof rested on stout piles strengthened
by cross beams. Into this they persuaded
their captive to enter, using force when he pro-
posed to resist, and behind him were dropped
two cross beams, so that he stood as in a
narrow horse box, barely longer than his length
or broader than his width, where there was no
chance of exerting his strength for escape, and
where he would remain, the observed of the
village, the plaything of the children, until such
time as he became accustomed to the sight of
man, patient under handling and docile to the
word of command. Now water was given him
to drink, fodder was placed within .reach, the

Early Experiences 39

rough ropes were slackened from his neck, and
he was left in peace to recover his nerve and
temper during the hours of darkness.
Meanwhile the herd of elephants, and with
them the young calf and his mother, disturbed
by the intrusion of man, uneasy as if some
unknown danger had been near them, gathered
together for safety ; the young sheltered behind
their bulkier companions, all testing the air to
learn from which side this danger threatened.
It was only gradually that their misgivings
were removed and that they recommenced
grazing, though still nervously. As night fell,
however, at some silent signal from an old and
experienced female, they set out on the march,
and in single file moved quietly away from
their recent halting place. The line was not
unbroken, for the calves frequently fell out;
theirs was the difficult task of stepping between
the footmarks of the longer-paced adults, and
they were easily fatigued by the roughness of
the road. So that, while the mothers lingered
to encourage and assist their young, the main

herd gradually disappeared from view, not to

40 The Life of an Elephant

be again rejoined till some hours had elapsed.
The herd-bull remained for some time behind
the retreating elephants, as
if to show his independence
of his harem: but ulti-
mately he too sauntered in

the same direction, careless

as to any possible danger
of attack, but most careful in every stride that
his vast weight should rest on firm soil.

The young calf’s training had now com-
menced to fit him for the life which might,
under favourable circumstances, extend over a
century. At present he gave little promise of
a great future. His soft wrinkled skin was
covered with a rufous down, and his forehead
with long black hair, the inheritance from
primeval ancestors in the north; his trunk was
to grow with use, but was now small and short ;
from his eyes glanced wickedness rather than
“ees, serenity, and his shaggy eyelashes
Lo ‘ gave them a guileful look which,
: evf indeed, was fully in accordance with
\ his character. On the march he

Early Experiences 41

plodded along methodically, his whole strength
absorbed in the struggle not to be left behind ;
but on halting days, when neither feeding nor
sleeping, he was occupied in tricks which were
far from sedate. To raise a sudden shriek of
alarm, which would bring his mother red-hot
with rage to his side, appeared to him to be
a pleasant pastime; to butt and harry the
youngsters less strong than himself was also
amusing; and to filch some delicacy from
another, even though he was yet unable to eat
it, afforded him much pleasure.

Thus, during his calfhood and youth he was
more or less privileged ; to his mother he clung
till, after some years, others took his place; to
the herd he remained faithful because unable
yet to fend for himself alone. He grew up in
the fear of the herd-bull and with a wholesome
respect for the young males, instinctively aware
that the thrust of a sharp tusk was extremely
painful, and might be fatal ; ignorant of his own
strength, but alert and quick, even agile when
due consideration is given to his bulk and build.

Perhaps the most difficult accomplishment was

42 The Life of an Elephant

to acquire the ability to walk with ease and

safety on precipitous ground, but even this was
learnt with practice. A wh.
perpendicular bank, if un- aad eh 5) —
yielding, even if only five >

feet high, remained always ff °
insurmountable, for he (

could not raise a hind-foot

sufficiently to give a pur-

chase in bringing his body
to follow trunk and fore-feet. But if the soil
could be broken away the difficulty ceased to
exist, for he would trample on the displaced
earth and in a few seconds surmount the
obstacle. To descenda steep, almost
vertical slope he would break away
the brink with his fore-feet and
lower himself over the edge, then,
bending his hind-legs, let himself
go, leaving two deep furrows to
mark his course. On the narrow

ridges between the valleys he
would walk with circumspection, lest a false
step should mean death. Indeed, he had

Early Experiences 43

himself been witness to such an accident,
when, the soil giving way, his companion had
been precipitated into the valley below; at
first grasping with outstretched trunk at bam-
boos and saplings to stay her fall, and ulti-
mately, as these were torn loose, as if refusing
the assistance so urgently required, lying a
huddled and inert mass some seventy feet
below.

He had learnt how to ford the forest streams,
testing in advance each footstep lest he should
chance on quicksands from which there was no
escape; to swim the rivers, rejoicing in his
strength, sinking, to strike the frm bottom and
to rebound thence to the surface, ploughing the
current with only his trunk above the surface,
like the conning pole of some submarine vessel.
He had been taught where to seek the food
supplies of the various seasons. He knew
when the bamboo foliage was at its best, when
the grasses were in flower, what barks, roots,
and fruits were whole-
some and where to find
them. He could detect

44 The Life of an Elephant

the presence of water if close below the surface
of the soil, and dig for it with his powerful fore-
feet; and, as to forest fires, with one wave of
his trunk he could locate the danger and strike
across the wind so as to avoid this terror.

All this and much more was known to him,
and in self-defence against other jungle tribes,
he was fully armed. His fore-foot, gently
swinging as a pendulum till the accurately
timed instant when it shot forth with prodigious
force, could dispose of any dangerous intruder ;
for the less important kind his trunk was ready
to deal a shrewd blow just as easily as it could
be used to blow away an objectionable insect or
to give the softest of caresses.

And so, as he increased in size, he increased
in knowledge, became gradually more inde-
pendent of his fellows, and was able to find a
living for himself, though the love of company
still kept him with the herd where he had lived

for so long in happiness and safety.

CHAPTER IV
The Monarchs of the Herd

i the forest, even among members of the

same tribe, might is right, and those who
cannot defend their place of pride must yield to
those who dispute it. And in the struggle that
thus goes on, one factor remains the most im-
portant, and that is youth, with its uncalculated
courage and irresistible endurance. The mon-
arch of the herd may maintain peace in the
community for a score of years, so long as he
has no serious rival, but there is always a
certainty that a stronger than he will arise one
day and secure the supremacy. The leading
bull of this herd, though some sixty or seventy
years of age, was in no way failing in strength,
in wisdom, or in beauty. True, in agility he
was inferior to his rivals, and his heavy bulk
imposed a severe strain upon his lasting

46 The Life of an Elephant

powers ; but up till now none had disputed his
authority, none had dreamed of engaging in
single combat with such a monster. Yet this
happened at last without premeditation, as the
result of passions suddenly roused, but, once
kindled, not to be quenched save by a fight
to a finish.

The leader of the herd, of which our elephant
was still an insignificant member, was leaning
carelessly against a tree watching his subjects
as they grazed around him. In the outskirts
two other bull elephants were wandering list-
lessly to and fro; giving an impression as if
they longed yet feared to
approach. Presently the one,
attracted irresistibly by his
desire for company, walked
slowly towards the females.
The herd-bull, from his post
of careless observation, at

once started to attention, and with ears
extended strode towards the intruder, fully
expecting to see him turn and fly, but in this
instance the expected did not happen. The

The Monarchs of the Herd 47

herd-bull then, in passing, pushed the younger
bull to one side: and instantly the latter turned
and stood facing his lord and
master with lowered head,
with tightly curled trunk and

shining tusks. This mutinous

challenge was not to be re-
fused, and the animals met
with a mighty shock, trunk to trunk, each
pushing with full strength in the attempt to
overthrow the other, or at least to make him
swerve or flee, so that the conqueror’s tusks
might be imbedded in side or hind-quarters,
and, in favourable circumstances, the goring
be continued till life became extinct.

To turn or fly would therefore probably
result in a painful wound, while to fall was
practically a sentence of death. And thus these
two animals
which had
lived peace-
ably together
for so many

years were

48 The Life of an Elephant

forced to a duel, which in any case must
separate them for the rest of their lives.
Neither had entered into it with zest, but, once
begun, the instinct of self-preservation compelled
its continuance; while soon rage and fury
swallowed up all other feelings, and all the
brutality of animal life came into play. They
pushed against each other in sullen silence,
while the herd instinctively moved away lest
they should experience the cruelty of the
vanquished or the blind lust of the conqueror ;
while the second bull gladly accompanied the
females to enjoy, at least for a time, the unusual
feeling of supremacy.

All through the tropical night the struggle
proceeded with unabated fury. When the com-
batants separated and stood apart, eager though
each might have been to turn aside and leave
the struggle undecided, self-preservation in-
sisted that the face should be kept to the foe,
so that once again they met with lowered
heads, with trunks curled out of harm’s way.
The immense muscles on fore-legs and quarters
stood out under the thick hides, and the tusks,

The Monarchs of the Herd 49

weapons as yet useless in the fight, clashed
together as the opponents met, their sharp
points inflicting slight wounds on chest and
shoulder, and from these blood slowly trickled,
reddening the duellists, whose heated breath
rose in mist in the air. There was an intoler-
able scent from the bodies of these animals,
perceptible even to the gross senses of human
beings, and most peculiarly obnoxious to the
other jungle tribes; nor was there any friendly
intervention to end the fight, as most usually
occurs when deer, cattle, or even birds are
engaged in savage warfare.

In the morning the elephants presented a
sorry sight; the soft, black hides were en-
crusted with blood and dust; the roundness of
body and limb had given place to the pro-
minence of straining muscles, even the placid
fulness of face and trunk was no longer evident ;
the bones of the forehead stood out through the
tightened skin. The herd-bull was at his last
gasp from fatigue, his adversary but in little
better plight, but still sustained by the insist-

ence of his hot-blooded youth. With a final
D

50 The Life of an Elephant

effort the herd-bull pushed the other backwards
for several paces, then suddenly turned and fled.

He crashed into the thickest jungle he could
find, the bamboos and elastic branches recover-
ing their position as they swished violently in
the face of the pursuer. The latter could gain
no ground on the vanquished, and after a time
stopped to scream with rage and vent his
fury on unoffending saplings and trees in his
vicinity. Then, bruised and battered, he made
his way to overtake the herd.

His triumph was not long-
lived. In his haste he soon
caught up his companions,
and the females and young
stood aside as he stormed

The Monarchs of the Herd 51

through their midst. He went straight towards
the tusker with whom he had been brought up,
his companion in long servitude under the now
vanquished herd-bull, and without pretext, save
that of fully roused passions, attacked him on
the instant. The other received the shock
without a tremor, and in the contact the lust of
fighting seemed to be communicated to him.
He pushed, and felt his already exhausted
antagonist yield ground; he redoubled his
efforts, and the enemy first gave way, then
suddenly slipped and fell. In a moment two
sharp tusks were
buried in his side;
again and again till
the soil was reddened
and the victor stood
with uplifted trunk,

with crimson tusks,

and glared around
for any other adversary. There was none to
withstand him, and he entered into his kingdom
over the necks of his two defeated foes.
Meantime the vanquished herd-bull was

52 The Life of an Elephant

recovering his equanimity. He betook himself
to the nearest stream and spent some hours in

bathing, in lying in the water, in
cooling his heated blood. Then,
spreading earth over his
———— wounds to ward off the

attacks of flies, he pro-
ceeded to graze his way in the direction opposite
to that taken by the herd.

Before following further the fortunes of our
elephant it will be interesting to sketch shortly
the life of this solitary tusker when driven from
the herd and condemned to a life of loneliness.

A long term of not unhappy years was before
him. He possessed vast experience, and his
wants were fully assured in the friendly forest.
He could live a luxurious life, following the
vegetation in its seasonal change; browsing on
bamboos so long as their foliage remained
green, entering the
swampy land in the
summer heats, returning
to the savannahs when

the new grass appeared,

The Monarchs of the Herd 53

and at all times finding leaves, roots and fruits
of various species adapted to his use during the
season of their ripeness ; while astringent barks
served to keep him in health during the trying
spring months. It was not often that he re-
gretted his former gregarious life; at times he
felt lonely, and then, in evil temper, vented his
rage on the trees around him. But these fits
soon passed, and he proceeded on his placid
way, harming no one, and content to be left to
enjoy his own life.

Such was his lot during maturity, but as old
age crept over him the difficulties increased,
not of finding, but of utilizing the food which
nature provided in such profusion around him.
His tusks no longer grew fast enough to re-
place the wear and tear of forest life, they
became worn and rough; his teeth, too, could
no longer crush the bamboo, the twigs and
coarser grasses, so that the constant search for
softer food became laborious. His forehead
and trunk were now thickly mottled with white,
and the edges of his great ears hung in tatters ;
the bones showed through the grey hide, and

54 The Life of an Elephant

the roundness of youth was no longer visible.
He wandered aimlessly through the forest,
seeking those comforts which failing vitality
alone denied him. And there were none of the
jungle tribes who were able to relieve him from
the burden of old age, and from a lingering
death by gradual exhaustion from starvation,
a fate which seemed certain to overtake
him.

It was when in these straits that this aged
bull commenced to live in the vicinity of the
cultivated lands, and to rob the crops by night.
But even this gave him but slight relief, for,
once the villagers were alive to his predatory
habits, they kept good watch and ward, and
more often than not he was driven away long
before he had satisfied his hunger. And so it
fell out at last that in desperate mood he
refused to fly from the yelling mob that threat-
ened him, continuing to seize large bunches of
ripening grain and stuff them greedily into
his mouth, till the owners, gaining courage,
approached so close that spears and arrows
could be used with effect. Then the elephant

The Monarchs of the Herd 55

turned, smarting with pain, and headed for
the safety of the forest; encountering on his
way a human being, he brushed
him aside in his hasty stride, and,
from the moment a man had been
killed, the fate of the animal was
decided.

Could he have known that he

was proscribed it is probable that

he would have welcomed relief from the oppres-
sion of growing helplessness; for it is on record
that one winter afternoon, when the sky was
growing red in the west, and a great silence
was creeping over the land, a hunter came on
the fresh tracks of an elephant, and at once
recognized from their size that he was on the
trail of the outlaw. There was haste if the
blood-money was to be earned ere darkness
fell, but the trail was easy to follow, for the
elephant was deliberately heading towards a
favourite stand of his, where a pool of water
glistened in the shade of high rocks, and the
bamboo stood around in graceful groups. As
the hunter crept along the track, and slowly

56 The Life of an Elephant

emerged in the more open space around the
pool, he saw the elephant standing motionless,
and watching him more

oe with curiosity than with
| fear or anger. The

man realized that there
i was no immediate

danger, that there was

no necessity for hurried

aim, and no excuse for
bungling this execution. He raised his rifle
slowly, and, as the head of the foresight passed
the base of the trunk, the trigger was pressed,
and the bullet sped upwards into the brain.
The elephant sank to his knees without a
sound; for an instant he seemed to be balanced
in this attitude, then rolled over and lay on his
side, dying with the calm dignity which had
emphasized his life.

The villagers, who had known of him for
two generations, and who asserted that he was
in his prime when the oldest of them were
young, believed that after a so long and harm-

less life in this world of toil and trouble the

The Monarchs of the Herd 57

elephant would be re-incarnated on a much
higher plane; they even suggested, as if that
were a reward, that his spirit might be born
again as one of themselves, forgetting that they
were under the subjection of labour from birth
to death, while this elephant had tasted the

joys of independence for nearly a century.

CHAPTER V
Captivity

HE change in the leadership of the herd
made but little difference to our elephant,

who led an uneventful life till, at the age of
thirty, he was well advanced towards maturity.
He then stood over eight feet high at the
withers, and his tusks protruded some two feet
from his lips. The animal was still growing in
height and bulk, but was already formidable
either for attack or defence. In short sprints
on level ground no man could hope to escape

him, and a horse would have to be

(AX remarkably quick in getting away to
(io avoid his charge; and, even after
a the first one hundred and fifty yards,

) sx —s tthe_~—s elephant

could maintain

oe a good pace

Captivity 59

when hurried, though his usual gait was at about
four miles to the hour. In fact, long continued
speed was not necessary to his existence. If
he charged an enemy, either he caught and
slew him, or the enemy decamped and thus
ceased to be harmful; if he himself fled on
occasions of urgency, he had either avoided the
danger, or was prepared to meet it calmly after
a short distance had been traversed.

The difference between wild animals and
those kept for show is perhaps never more
pronounced than with the elephant. This one
had a black, soft and pliant hide, warm to the
touch, and so sensitive that it responded at
once to the attack of a fly, while other insects,
so powerfully armed as are the gad-flies, left
drops of blood wherever they alighted. The
grey coloured hides encrusted with dirt, such
as are seen in the best managed Zoological
Gardens in Europe, are evidently the con-
sequence of the want of constant throwing of
mud and dust on the body, to be subsequently
washed away by forcible jets of water directed

from the trunk, thereby creating the friction

60 The Life of an Elephant

necessary to keep the hide clean and sensitive.
So in India, even the domestic elephant is aided
in such efforts towards cleanliness by being
bathed and scrubbed daily with a hard brick.
How important it is to keep the skin healthy
by regular friction is known to the breeders of
domestic cattle, but has apparently escaped the
notice of curators of Zoological Gardens, who
but rarely provide any means by which their
captives can follow the dictates of nature as
regards this form of health preservation.
Another difference between the wild and con-
fined elephant, is that the former possesses a
roundness of head and body, referable to that
full formation of muscle which apparently can
only be attained by suitable and varied food
accompanied by sufficient exercise. The
monotony of stale buns
and of slow promenades on
gravelled paths must soon
reduce even the finest

specimens of elephant life

ees | ae —_ to creatures of no
ene of brain

Captivity 61

or muscle, while in those born in captivity
there can be little resemblance, save perhaps in
the skeleton, to the animal bred and brought
up in the forest. One must, therefore, picture
to one’s self an alert and by no means clumsy
beast; neither indolent nor greedy; fully
equipped to support himself in a country where
dangers are not infrequent; knowing how to
ascend and descend the steepest mountain
passes; able to ford the treacherous streams
in safety, to swim for miles if necessary in the
flooded rivers; and withal endowed with
senses of sight and scent that could forewarn
him in time to escape approaching dangers,
whether threatened by man or by nature.
With these qualities, combined with enormous
strength, it was well that the elephant was
favoured with a calmness of temper and with
a kindliness of disposition which prevented him
from using his forces for evil.

As a rule the elephant began his day, as
animals will, at sunset, when he moved towards
water to bathe and drink. This hour of en-

joyment was marked by cries of pleasure from

62 The Life of an Elephant

the adults, who seemed to enjoy making the
forest re-echo with their trumpeting. Then
could be heard also the shrill voices of the young

calves and the contented purring of the mothers,

\\. fi
hf

culminating in blows on earth or water with the
trunk. They stood knee-deep, throwing water
over their bodies, or, if there was depth enough,
swimming and diving in the stream or lake; then
when hunger called they either came ashore
wet and shiny, or struck out for the opposite
bank, the mothers encouraging the young calves
or aiding them with their trunks. The secrets

Captivity 63

of the earth, air and water were theirs. With
one tap of the trunk they passed without
pausing if the foothold were sound, or stopped
short to avoid some danger imperceptible to
man; they knew in the same way if the sand
beneath the water was firm or treacherous, if
the current was too swift to allow of safe
passage ; and with one wave of the trunk they
both detected danger and located it. And
so it is that in times of flood or fire, or, worst
of all, of earthquake, the distress of these
animals, should they be prevented from utilizing
their powers for escape, is so marked as to be
almost pathetic.

The herd in which our elephant still found
himself consisted of individuals all more or less
experienced, all amply endowed by nature with
the means to pass a happy and long life, but
each differing in strength and in characteristics
as much as is found to be the case in com-
munities of human beings. Only, amongst the
elephants, there was blind confidence in one
leader, for the reason that discussion and fore-
thought were denied them. It was a republic

64 The Life of an Elephant

in which unreserved obedience was given to the
wisest: and amongst the forest tribes the
wisest is generally of the weaker sex; for
that sex, because of its weakness, becomes of
necessity the best qualified by nature to detect
a coming danger, and to devise means of escape.

The herd had been grazing in one part of
the country for some time; food and water
were plentiful, and, though they more than
once started on the march to new ground, yet
they had somewhat listlessly given up the
attempt on finding human beings busy in their
path. In fact, though they did not know it,
they were surrounded by a wide circle of men,
whose endeavour was to keep them within
certain boundaries. The broad valley was shut
in by precipitous hills, through

which were only two easy
passages marking the inlet and
outflow of a stream, and these
passages were well guarded by
men armed with guns,
who, moreover, kept fires
blazing night and day.

Captivity 65

Other watchers were on the slopes of the
hills, ready at all times to dispute a passage
in that direction,
and within this
circumference the
elephants lived
unmolested while

a stout stockade,
approached through wide wings which spread
V-shaped into the forest, was being constructed
in all haste. Work was pressed on day and
night lest the herd, now becoming uneasy,
should attempt to force a passage ere the
arrangements were complete; but at last all
was ready and the order was given that to-
morrow the herd was to be driven to captivity.

The morning shone bright and clear over the
forest ; it was a season when nights were cold
and the days hot; when the vegetation was
preparing for the coming drought, the deciduous
trees shedding their leaves, the evergreens
showing a more brilliant foliage as if rejoicing
in their superiority over the seasons. Looking

down on the valley, there seemed no sign of
E

66 The Life of an Elephant

man or beast, even the columns of smoke which
for weeks had marked the position of the passes
into the valley were no longer visible; the
forest was wrapped in silence. Suddenly, fired
from far away, the report of a gun echoed
through the hills, and simultaneously a roar of
sound arose, shouts, beating of drums and firing
of guns, as some hundreds of men descended
from the hillsides and converged on the pass
leading out of the valley.
The elephants gathered in
a body and followed the
old female, who at once

took command; _ they

moved slowly in front of
the gathering crowd, at first not doubting that
it might be avoided; then, as the circle con-
stricted, they suddenly realized that they were
being driven, and, with the instinct of all wild
animals, endeavoured to make a way of escape
to one side. They pushed up the slopes of
the hill at a quick walk, trunks waving and
tails whipping from side to side, and were
suddenly confronted with a volley of blank

Captivity 67

cartridges fired in their faces, with shouts and
with fire-brands. In the suddenness of this
attack, all courage and dignity vanished, and in
a disordered mass, with curled trunks and tails
raised high above their
backs, they fled, helter-
skelter down the hill,
and entering the valley,
once more found them-

selves with men behind,
and on each side, and with but one apparent
way of escape open to them.

Along that way they proceeded, no longer
cautious of sudden danger, unnerved by their
terrifying experience, each eager to be foremost
in the flight, till the path narrowed, and they
discovered on each side of them not many yards
distant, rows of stout piles with interlaced tree
trunks, held together with climbers and ropes
of fibre, which told of the work of man, and
warned them of the loss of liberty or life.
They halted in indecision, and at that moment
pandemonium seemed to be again let loose
close behind them; guns were fired, crackers

68 The Life of an Elephant

exploded, burning torches were flung, and the
shouts of men and the booming of drums
became unbearable. The elephants pressed
forward in a wild attempt at escape, and forced
themselves through the narrow gateway.
There was here no space to receive this
torrent of frightened animals, and so it was
that the herd-bull was left
ar outside, and attacked the

AM r N
UV

3 } palisade with the fury born
4 { of fear. It gave way to

Do ae the impact, and
HE aretha! des
ollowed by a few

of those who had, like him, been delayed at

the fatal gateway; and at the same moment

the ropes holding up the huge portcullis were

cut, and the way to freedom, for the rest of

the herd, was barred. Then it was that scores

of men arrived to hurriedly strengthen the
stockade, and to prevent any systematic
attempt at its destruction; firing with blank
cartridges at any elephant which crossed the
boundary ditch with the object of tearing down

Captivity 69

the fence, repulsing with spear thrusts the more
venturesome who were not overawed with
threats ; and then, too, it was that the great men
of the earth, from the secure advantage of
towers built into strong trees, could watch the
captives, as they moved restlessly to and fro,
avoiding each other, as if ashamed of their
predicament, and looking with wondering and

terrified eyes on the antics of their captors.

CHAPTER VI
In Training for Work

HERE were some twenty-five captives in

the enclosure, of whom our elephant was

the largest: and it was well for him that he
made no determined efforts to escape, for in
order to avoid any risk of loss of the catch,
his life would have been sacrificed at once; a
well-directed bullet at close quarters would
have ended his history.
But, with the patient
equanimity of his kind,
when faced with un-
avoidable misfortunes,

he remained placidly
standing, awaiting his fate. In a few hours
most of the captives grew accustomed to the
sight and scent of human beings; they raised

no objections when men seated on tame

In Training for Work 71

elephants moved amongst them; they even
submitted when, huddled between two trained
animals, ropes were passed over their necks;
and, most dangerous task to those so employed,
when other ropes were secured to their hind-
legs. Thus, one by one, they were led out
through the narrow doorway in the direction
of the camp, to be tied to stout trees by the
heel ropes. Against these bonds they strained
with all their weight, desisting only when the
ropes cut deep into the flesh and imprinted on
them the brand of slavery, always to be found
on an elephant if born and bred in the forest
and then captured and trained to the service
of man. The very young calves followed the
females as they were led een

from the enclosure, but in ia

; Zz sae
many cases their mothers no La =a

longer recognized them, and

resented their approach.
Whether this was because
their young were tainted
with the scent of man,

I
or whether the terror AS

N“N
iS)

The Life of an Elephant

and anxiety of the pursuit and capture had
stayed the flow of milk and so destroyed
the maternal instincts, it is difficult to assert.
At all events the calves wandered round the
fettered elephants, finding scant encouragement,
save from men who fed them with buffalo milk,

hoping to keep them alive, or from the tame

elephants, which treated them with kindness
and affection, so that, if not quite dependent
on a nursery diet, there was good chance of
their survival.

Our elephant remained the last to be re-
moved from the enclosure, and while there,
he had been constantly attended by two tame
elephants, who gently frustrated any attempt
at restiveness. When the ropes had been

In Training for Work 73

attached to neck and leg, an imposing array of
tame elephants was ready to overcome any re-
sistance. He made none, but walked silently to
his allotted place, where he was left to himself.
Even then there was no unseemly struggle.
He tested his weight against the strength of
his fetters with one long, even pull, till the
blood spurted from the wounds; the ropes
held firm, and he made no subsequent attempt,
suffering himself to be led to
water morning and evening,
eating the food provided for him
with an aloofness which made
mere man seem _ insignificant.
For weeks before it was con-

sidered safe for him to take the
road, he was, in reality, just as indifferent to
his fate as on the day they started to leave for
ever the forests he knew so well.

First the long weary march in chains, and
then the months of training which followed,
seemed to rob him of all the joy of living and
alter, with altered habits, many of his natural

characteristics. His patience remained, but it

74 The Life of an Elephant

was the patience of despair, and though he
still deeply resented ill-treatment, he became
obedient to the
wishes of his masters
so far as he under-
stood them. The
first lesson was that
he should kneel at
command, so that the pigmies who owned him

should be able the more readily to climb on
his back; the next, that he should lie on his
side, so that he might be duly cleaned by his
attendant; then that he should follow when
led by the ear, and turn to right and left,
or halt when ordered to do so. Finally,
that all these movements should be carried

i EQ

out under the orders of a
man seated on his neck,

who emphasized his com-
mands with a goad or witha
pointed iron hook. During
the whole of this schooling
the shackles were never

off the fore-feet, or the

In Training for Work 75

tethering chain from the hind-leg, and it was
only when he had earned a name for docility
that these restrictions were removed, and he
found his limbs free once more, though still, on
either side, a tame elephant accompanied him
for fear of a sudden outbreak of fury.

And so at last he was ready for work, and
was sold into slavery to the first comer who
could command his price: his only safeguards
against cruel treatment being the capital in-
vested in his purchase, and the fear of his
vengeance should his attendants purposely
annoy him.

First, then, he wag.called upon to work his
own passage from the forest to the timber yard,
where ultimately he was to be employed in mov-
ing and arranging the heaviest logs; and this
trip of some five hundred miles took nearly two
years to complete.

F

He would be har- ie
nessed to a log, and :
by brute strength |

drag it through the

soft soil to the banks / co,

Missing Page

Missing Page

78 The Life of an Elephant

they were at the mercy of all the predatory
bands in the neighbourhood. It was but a
small number of such logs that the owner
retrieved. All had the ownership marks at once
removed, some were buried deep in the sand, to
be recovered at some convenient occasion, others
were hurriedly sawn up in concealed saw-pits,
so that identification became even more difficult.

On the way down stream other rafts were
encountered, made up of thousands of bamboos
which floated more buoyantly than the timber ;
so that on these thatched cottages could be
erected, and children played joyously in the
railed-in decks. In the centre of these floating
villages were mounds of rice, covered with
bamboo matting, the harvest from villages far
away in the north, its ultimate destination first
the husking mills of Rangoon, and then the
markets of Europe and England.

After the rafts had been despatched, there
followed for our elephant a period of com-
parative rest from labour till the monotonous
march to the timber depot was completed ; but
during those two strenuous years he had become

In Training for Work 79

thoroughly accustomed to the presence of man,
and tolerated, but did not love him. The
elephant was still regarded as a slave, for whom
the lash was ready as a punishment, but to
whom no reward was offered as an incentive
to greater exertions. The other elephants with
whom he was associated provided him with
no interests; he could not respond to their
advances made with caressing trunk or with
loud purrings ; truth to say, he wanted nothing
but food and sleep after a hard day’s work,
for he was still growing both in height and
bulk, and his masters seemed to have but small
idea of his requirements in food and rest. In
the short hours allotted to him for feeding and
sleeping he was obliged to swallow hastily
whatever came within reach, instead of, as in the
days of freedom, taking time to select, cleanse,
and carefully masticate every mouthful. Often
his tethering chain prevented him from reaching
a convenient bathing place, and thus frequently
he was recalled to another day’s work unre-
freshed by bathing or sleep, and with unsatisfied

hunger.

80 The Life of an Elephant

It was rather a gaunt elepbant which ulti-
mately reached the timber yard, and viewed the
broad estuary and inhaled the scent of the sea
air. To him at first
all was repugnant,
the brackish water,
the slimy mud, the
fodder impregnated
with brine from the

salt breezes; but
here, as before, he
adapted himself to his surroundings, but in
reality possessed no one thing that made life
enjoyable to him. His work, too, was the more
arduous that it had to be accomplished under
the burning sun. For the elephant is parti-
cularly sensitive to heat ; when wild, he rarely
moves when the sun is hot, but stands in the
deepest shade available, and often seeks further
protection by piling grass on head and neck,
and throwing earth over his body. Those
human beings who have lived in intimacy
amongst this forest tribe will truly relate, how
at times they have unwittingly approached

« GALVIOOSSV SVA\ HH WOHAA HLIM SLNVHdd1a AAHLO AHL;,

In Training for Work 81

close to an elephant thus concealed, and have
fled in cold terror when a movement of a
grass-covered mound disclosed the presence
of a hidden danger.

Here in the timber yard were creeks of shiny
mud, which the tide filled with foul water ; into
these creeks the logs, detached from the timber
rafts, were floated at high water, and later
were dragged by the elephant on to firmer soil.
A broad breast-plate, ending on either side with
a chain, was all his harness and, struggling and
slipping in the slime, he did his best to satisfy
his masters. From time to time, especially as
the tide ebbed, he was forced to enter the
creeks and work in five or six feet of mud and
water, so that he could not do justice to his
weight and strength. Once the logs were on
firm ground his next duty was to arrange
them in rows as
ordered by his
driver. The
smaller logs he

4
would lift bodily Y \
j

with his tusks,

F

82 The Life of an Elephant

carrying them where required with the aid of
his trunk; those too heavy to carry he would
roll along the ground or, raising first one end,
and then the other, bring them ultimately to
the desired position. The elephant presented
a sorry sight when his
day's work was done; he
was then covered with
black river-mud, and felt
weary and indifferent to
his surroundings, being
sore from the chafing of
his rough harness, and
irritated by the scolding

and ill-temper of his
driver. During the night he stood under a
shed, chained to a post, and ate what was put
before him and what remained over from his
rations after the rapacity of his driver had
been satisfied. There is no need to dwell
on this monotonous and weary time, for this
elephant came through it with his life, though
many of his companions had succumbed, from

sunstroke, from internal strains, from sudden

In Training for Work 83

unknown sickness; yet it seems but justice
that in these days when sentimentality is rife,
some comparison should be suggested between
the treatment of a criminal, who perhaps has
been for years a terror to his fellow-men. and
that meted out to an animal which has done
no harm; and that the attitude of either to-
wards their gaolers may be noted when
condemned to loss of liberty and to penal
servitude. Perhaps, if a useful life is to be
commended, an animal may show to advantage
over many human beings.

Mention has been made of sudden unknown
sickness, and it may be remarked that cases
of poisoning of elephants, even by their own
mahouts, are not of such rarity as to cause
surprise. Nothing is easier than to administer
a fatal dose to an animal which places such
implicit trust in man; arsenic concealed in a
banana is readily swallowed, and proof of the
crime is difficult. A mahout who had abused
his authority, and went in consequence in fear
of his life, has been known to take this way of
escape; while another, jealous of the promotion

84 The Life of an Elephant

of a fellow-servant, adopted this means of
getting him into trouble. It will be recalled
that some wild animals will refuse, when in
confinement, to eat from the hand of their
keeper, even when on affectionate terms with
him. The wild dog, especially, insists on this
suspicious attitude, and it is also sometimes
assumed by monkeys. An old Langur monkey,
which had been in confinement for years, would
to the last insist on washing any food handed
to her, with a view to removing the disagree-
‘able scent of the human hand. This animal
was extremely fond of loaf sugar, and would
chatter with rage as each lump disappeared
under the cleansing to which she subjected it,
leaving no trace, save in sticky paws, which
were greedily sucked. But the elephant,
though refusing distasteful food, may sometimes
be persuaded to swallow it, though at others
he will close the argument by dropping it
from his mouth and covering it with a massive
fore-foot.

The end came at last, when a broker from

India saw the elephant toiling wearily in the

In Training for Work 85

timber yard, admired his shape, noted his youth,
and decided that here was an animal which,
with proper care, was suited for a better fate
than that of a living traction-engine ; and that
a profit could be made if it were possible
to purchase ‘at a reasonable price. Hence it
was that, one breezy morning when the tide
was running up against the wind, and the
muddy water of the estuary was white with
breaking wavelets, the elephant was stripped
of his harness and led down to a wharf over-
looking the wider stream. All around him
were men bustling and shouting, rolling or
carrying bales into the ship which lay alongside,
and after some hours of waiting strong broad
girths were fastened round his body, there
was a clanking of machinery, and the elephant
felt himself lifted from his feet and swaying
in mid-air. The sensation was terrifying, and
never before had he felt so helpless; he waved
his trunk in all directions in the hope of finding
some firm hold for it, but without success ;
then he felt himself being lowered till his feet

touched the main-deck below, and here, once

86 The Life of an Elephant

more confined, he listened to the soothing
words of his new owner.

The next few days he passed in miserable
anxiety, for to an animal of this bulk there can
be no peace on swaying and heaving decks,

; i, ifr ality ys
: My, Ayr wll!" TES
C y;
\ s| an My, ‘
Vey aoe EE " Wh Ye

which he imagined were unable to carry his

weight ; but even this trial came to an end, and
at last the ship moved on an even keel against
the stream of a broad river. On either side,
the banks, raised only a few feet above the tide,
were covered with rice-fields or grass-lands

which stretched away to the horizon, without

In Training for Work 87

a break in the dull monotony of the landscape.
Between them the muddy stream flowed,
treacherous and uninviting ; the shallows marked
with white breakers, with whirlpools forming
at the tail of the hidden sandbanks. In the
distance was a haze of smoke, and as the ship
proceeded, feeling her way amongst currents
and shoals, the signs of human beings became
more in evidence in the whirring of machinery,
the clanging of hammers, and the smoke from
furnaces, till at length they came to rest on
the crowded and busy waters. Such was the
entry to the City of Palaces, a title surely
appropriated by those who knew not of the real
palaces in marble and stone, erected by the in-
habitants of the country who possessed clearer
conceptions of truth and art. Here the brick
buildings were faced with stucco; they stood
four-square on the few feet of firm soil that
overlay morass and quicksand, with square
porticoes, square windows, and square rooms,
and with only one oriental attribute, and that
tending to accentuate the bad taste of the

west; namely, that servants, whether man or

88 The Life of an Elephant

beast, were lodged in the closest proximity to
those who enjoyed residence in these buildings,
palatial only in their size.

Slung from the ship like any bale of goods,
our elephant found himself standing on the jetty
at dead of night, suffering still from the effects
of the sea voyage, reeling slightly as he walked.
He passed through the sleeping town, where
the daylight traffic was too congested to allow
the risk of frightening horses and bullocks,
and set his face to the north-west on his long
march up-country to the market where he
was to be sold. As he followed the broad road
with its avenues hundreds of miles in length,
he passed into a cooler and drier atmosphere at
each march. Strolling twenty to thirty miles
each day during the freshness of the early
morning and late evening, fed and looked after
with every care, he found life for the next
month or two pleasanter than he had ex-
perienced since his capture. The countries he
passed through were different in all respects
to those in which the elephant’s youth had
been passed. There the forest was supreme,

In Training for Work 89

and scattered villages nestled in its folds; here
the land was populated and cultivated. One
left a village only to enter another, each with
its groves of palms, bamboos and mangroves;
each with its water-tank which served as
bathing place to man and beast; each with its
shallow well and its small and tawdry temple.
There were no monasteries built of dark-toned
timbers heavily carved, and no sound of
sonorous gongs and tinkling bells. Of waste
lands and jungles there were few, and men
were everywhere, not armed and alert, but
residing in open villages, seemingly with no
fear of man or beast, incessantly talking and
incessantly eating food of strange savour.
And yet, in spite of this easy existence, there
was little joyousness in the land, no_bright-
ness of colour or daintiness in the dresses, and
more scolding and quarrelling in a day than
would be heard in a month in the Further
East.

Yet, in spite of these differences, which,
indeed, affected the elephant but little; he
passed his days in contentment, regained some

90 The Life of an Elephant

of his vigour, and arrived at his destination
handsome and healthy to await with good

humour any further adventures that might
befall him.

CHAPTER VII
A Change of Masters

HE site of the fair was on a broad expanse

of white sand along the bank of a river
flowing with clear and strong waters to the
east. There was room for thousands of human
beings, as well as for the hundreds of animals
who were made the pretext for this gathering.
On the far side of the river, the forest stretched
away over the broken hills; on the other, the
view was obstructed by precipices of gravel and
sandstone, in whose crevices a scanty vegetation
found shelter. Along the edge of the stream,
under the overhanging rocks, were crowded
temples, bathing ghats, and pilgrims’ rest-
houses, and amongst these, at every turn, sat
the members of an hereditary priesthood at the
receipt of custom, confident of an easy here-

after, while making every arrangement for a

92 The Life of an Elephant

luxurious present. Here, too, the pilgrims,
weary and sore-footed, offered adoration in the
dark temples, entered the sacred pools where
great fish jostled amongst the bathers, sub-
mitted to the loss of cherished locks by the
barbers’ razors, and then, clean from all im-
purities of body and soul, paid largesse to the
priests and started on the homeward journey,
laboriously bearing jars of sacred water for use
in the rites and ceremonies of domestic wor-
ship. In one way this water was miraculous,
for it appeared never to diminish in quantity,
either by evaporation or even by sale on the
lengthy march.

On the sand thousands of human beings
were encamped in the open, some sheltered
behind flimsy screens of grass, others, more
wealthy, under
tattered huts,
but the majority
without shelter
of any kind.
During the day
they roamed

« SUTANAL CUIMOW) AVAM UAAIY FHL AO FAIS AHL ONOY,,

A Change of Masters 93

through the fair, visiting the side-shows, staring
at the religious mendicants now in full costume
of skins and paint, or passing remarks on the
animals exposed for sale. As the night drew
on, thousands of tiny fires sparkled in the
darkness, and were reflected in the broad
waterway as each little encampment prepared
the evening meal, and
then sank to rest after
the excitement of the
past hours. For most
of these visitors were

men who rarely left

their distant villages, to
whom all was novel; “oy. ee C uF, 5A
even the sight of clear
water flowing over boulders aroused their
curiosity, accustomed as they were to the murky
floods and sandbanks of the rivers of the country
of the plains.

On the army of parasites who, with well-
advertised claims to sanctity and to charity,
swarmed over the fair, they looked with mixed

feelings. They might revere the village priest

94 The Life of an Elephant

who stood sponsor at the introduction into caste
and manhood, who assisted at their marriage
and funeral rites; but here were men who, at
least outwardly, abjured all companionship, and
who purposely crippled their own bodies so that,
while becoming a burden in the community,
they might save their own souls. Covered
with ashes and vermin, and often of the most
revolting habits, they commanded fees even if
they inspired no respect. A fierce glance from
under shaggy eyebrows or a muttered curse
was sufficient to compel a hurried obeisance
and a gift of hard-earned pence from the simple
villagers as they passed by.

Much more exciting was it when several
hundreds of these miscreants, forming procession,
and with frenzied cries on their gods leaped into
the swiftly flowing waters of the sacred river ;
for then followed the strange spectacle of men,
white and black, risking their lives to save
those who deliberately sought a quick road to
Paradise, but who had lost all ardour at the
unwonted contact with cold pure water. The
unsophisticated onlookers, inhabitants of a

A Change of Masters 95

country where life on earth is held, in reality,
to be merely one stage of existence, may well
have regarded such interference as unpardon-
able; but they expressed no opinion, and
wandered on in the hope of witnessing other
soul-stirring incidents whose recital would while
away the long evenings in the distant village.

Along the lines of tethered elephants a man
came sauntering, inspecting the animals with a
well assumed air of indifference. He was slight
and thin, with legs widely bowed, and was clad
in white cotton, with an embroidered cap on his
well-combed hair. His dress, his short, curly
beard, and his speech as he passed the time of
day with the attendants on the animals exposed
for sale, proclaimed him to be a Mussulman
from the north. He glanced shrewdly at our
elephant, but continued without halting on his
way, and it was not until an hour or so later
that he returned, greeted the owner and accepted
the long snake-like tube of the hookah when
handed to him.

Kareem was the descendant of a long line of
“‘Mahouts,” men who, in the service of the state

96 The Life of an Elephant

or of rajahs, had spent their lives in the charge
of elephants and, dying, bequeathed their know-
ledge and their duties to their sons. Such men
formed a clan, almost a race apart, now fast
dying out under the pressure of veterinary
science from the west—men who possessed
special knowledge of the habits and manners
of this forest tribe, who had accumulated vast
stores of legendary and practical information
as to their treatment in disease or health, and
who could judge at a glance of the good and
bad points of an elephant, and decide instantly
as to the temperament of each individual, and
whether it was trustworthy or dangerous ; who
had even invented a special language for freer
intercourse with the animals they lived with.
To these men the elephant seems to give a
special allegiance, and often a most marked
affection.

Kareem was no better or worse than those
of his class. He would treat those he respected
or loved, whether master or elephant, with
fidelity ; he was courageous, hot-tempered, and,
in physique, well suited to his profession. To

A Change of Masters 97

place on the neck of an elephant a driver of
the figure of a well-fed family coachman would
be impossible, not only on account of the
depressing weight to be carried, but because
agility is required to mount to the saddle by
aid of trunk and tusk, or to scramble up from
behind, by the help of the crupper ropes. At
the present time this mahout was with his
master on the look-out for a good ‘shikari”
elephant; one which, while docile, would be
courageous ; young enough to be agile, and tall
enough to force a way through dense forest,
or seas of grass, in pursuit of game.

Thus, after he had spent some time in belitt-
ling the elephant, and had received from his
owner the incontrovertible reply that the animal
was ‘‘as God had made him,” he rose to his
feet and approached the elephant without fear,
stroked his trunk, tickled him under the jaw,
offered him a banana from his pocket, and then
proceeded to examine him thoroughly. First
the eyes, which were in colour hazel, bright and
clear, without speck or film ; then the inside of

the mouth, which was pink and healthy; next
G

100 The Life of an Elephant

which might be slow to heal if neglected ; and
in return for such attention, he strove to carry
out all that was required of him. He knelt,

and submitted to have his
a, “\, forehead painted with fantastic

din ( :
foe coloured designs, he even per-
y mitted that his tusks should

be shortened, though this was
( p—</ a serious trial to his temper.
It was one day decided, as the
elephant was no longer to be used for timber
work, that his long and sharp tusks had become
unnecessary, and might, indeed, restrict his use-
fulness, and prove a danger to his companions.
Maula Bux was requested to lie on his side,
which he obediently did, his mahout then
measured from eye to lip, and marking the
same length on his tusks, pro-
ceeded to saw off the ends of -_ a
either, thus avoiding the hollow ~
and sensitive portion above the
cut. When this operation was com-
pleted, two thick brass rings, engraved
and embossed, were slipped over the

A Change of Masters 101

ends of the tusks, and tightly wedged in place,
and the elephant arose, shorn of a portion of
his weapons for which he would have no use in
the future, though still possessing implements
of the greatest value to himself and his master.
The last test of his obedience was, that he
should carry lighted lamps on his tusks through
the encampment, and this he did with a placidity
which delighted his mahout, though inwardly
the elephant was far from easy, and carefully
kept his trunk out of harm’s way.

There came a day when the stud of elephants
was to proceed to the jungles, and there be
allowed to graze during the winter
and spring of the year. They set
out on their march in single file,
each elephant carrying a load made
up of his own fetters and cloth-
ing, of his driver’s and driver's
assistant’s kit, of a small tent for

shelter for the men, and of a few

days’ rations, the whole amounting to a weight
of some three to four hundred pounds. Under
this light burden the elephants tramped gaily

102 The Life of an Elephant

along the road, their soft feet making little
noise, but raising a cloud of dust which passed
away with the breeze. Where the
path led through cultivated fields
the travellers stretched out greedy
trunks to seize mouthfuls of young
wheat or cane-sugar, until ordered
to desist from robbery. When vil-
lages were reached and the little
naked children rushed out with
cries of joy, the elephants went
warily ; when the dogs barked, they curled up
their trunks in alarm, as if they knew that in this
country the chance of hydrophobia following on

a bite was no imaginary danger. They regained
the open country, carrying the spoils they had
looted; some waving a bush whose yellow
flowers had given promise of a heavy crop
of lentils, another
with a trunkful of
grain snatched from
the threshing floor ;
and Maula Bux, per-
haps most successful

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A Change of Masters 103

of all, with a bundle of straw packed beneath
each tusk, and a third held in his trunk for
gradual consumption on the way.

As the winter afternoon drew on, there was
the arrival in camp, where, under the shelter
of the evergreen mango
trees, loads were taken
off, elephants tethered,
fires lighted to cook the
evening rations, while
some elephants were de-
spatched to bring in leaf

fodder from fig trees,
or long grass from the
banks of stream or lake for the night's feed.
Then, under the stars throughout the long night,
men slept while the elephants fed and rested,
lying down for two or three hours at the most
in the early morning hours. When dawn came
to light up the misty landscape, fires were again
lit to cook the morning meal, the elephants
were ridden to drink and bathe at the nearest
water, their loads were readjusted and the

easy march began once more.

104 The Life of an Elephant

It ended one day on the banks of a broad
river, where a strong stream flowed some
hundred of yards in width through a broad
expanse of sand which marked the limit of
the summer floods. Here the baggage was
loaded into boats which crossed amid the
shouting of the oarsmen, while the elephants
first waded and then swam to the opposite
shore. To some of these animals the occasion
was one of joyful play. Their naked drivers
stood erect, supporting themselves by a rope
round the neck of the elephant. These reared
high out of the water and wallowed back
into the depths, disappearing from view like
gigantic porpoises; then returning to the sur-
face, blowing out the air from curved trunks,
screaming to each other in gaiety of heart,
neglectful of the cries and abuse of the mahouts.

Others there were who feared to enter the
current, standing with feet firmly set to the
sand, refusing to move in spite of entreaties
and chastisement. To such mutineers stronger
persuasion was necessary; their drivers dis-

mounted and stood by them, and then it was

A Change of Masters 105

that the wisdom of shortening Maula Bux’s
tusks became apparent. He was told to ad-
vance upon the stubborn elephants, and, when
within three or four paces, to charge. His
lowered forehead caught the first waverer full

in the stern, and she pitched headlong into

the water, whence return was barred by
threatening tusks. The choice now lay be-
tween being butted into deep water or entering
it voluntarily, and the haste with which a
decision was taken as the big tusker approached
the next victim was almost ludicrous.

Last of all, Maula Bux himself entered the
stream. There was some eight feet of strong
swirling water around him ere he lost his foot-
hold, then, with powerful strokes he made his
way across, standing in the shallows, curling

106 The Life of an Elephant

his trunk at the right angle to help his driver
to the ground, throwing water over his body
till thoroughly cleansed, then again making a
pathway for the mahout with curved trunk,
and giving the final toss calculated with the
utmost nicety to bring him well into his seat.

CHAPTER VIII

In Training for Sport

ONTENTMENT in captivity was now

the portion of the elephant Maula Bux,

for by this time the uniform kindness he ex-
perienced had deadened the longing for a wild
life, and where there was no toil, there also the
desire for liberty did not oppress him. Through-
out the day he roamed through the forest,
grazing as he went; at times stopping to pluck
some succulent grass or reed, at others breaking
off the foliage of such trees as he desired ;
gathering here a trunkful of bamboo, and there
some fruit fallen in its ripeness. He was
scarcely conscious that the mahout sat sleepily
on his back, save when, forgetting, he threw
dust over his body to keep off the flies, or
proposed to pass under some bough, hardly
high enough for the comfort of his rider. On

Missing Page

Missing Page

110 The Life of an Elephant

to be abundant, and when man, the hunter, was
better able to come to terms with the forest
tribes. The elephants were caparisoned for a
shooting party in simple and workmanlike
harness, and thus stood, some twenty strong,
before the rows of white tents, awaiting the
pleasure of the hunters. These came eager
and interested in their mounts; asking in-
numerable questions as to the steadiness of
each elephant, and its staunchness in danger.
The drivers replied, each praising his own
particular charge, save only Kareem, who was
content to remark that Maula Bux had not
taken part in the hunt before that day.

At the foot of a perpendicular bank, scored

here and there with narrow ravines cut by the

monsoon storms, was a strip of glass so high
that its flowering tops reached above the tallest
elephant. It merged into the forest of ‘“shisham”

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In Training for Sport III

saplings that stretched away to where the river
ran swiftly between smooth boulders, and at one
end of this patch of jungle, which lay unburnt
and green across the blackened plain, stood a
line of elephants waiting the word of command
to sweep through the cover and drive out every
living thing. Maula Bux was not in this line
of attack ; until he had been proved, it was not
expedient that he should be in a position to
disorganize the beat either by a show of
cowardice or by a frenzy of rage. He had
been sent by a circuitous route to the top of
the cliff to guard the
exits from the grass-
land to the hills above,
and stood, a few feet
from the edge of the

precipice, looking down

on the dense cover ff ee

below. =
The line of elephants

advanced, and as they |

came the jungle tribes |

retreated before them; |

112 The Life of an Elephant

the deer rushed out to one side, clattering over
the stones and splashing through the water; the
pigs dashed blindly for-
ward or broke through
the line, causing the

more timid elephants
to scream with fear; the black- peer
towered above the trees and soared away with
outspread wings; and the peafowl, running to
the edge of the forest, sped away uttering
frightened cries. The only sign of life remaining
in front of the inexorable line of elephants was
that some yards ahead the tops of the highest
stalks of grass quivered as if slightly touched
from below. The more experienced elephants
raised their trunks, not to point in that direction,
but to assure themselves by scent what this move-
ment was; the more experienced of the hunters
laid hand on rifle and kept it ready for use.
The line still came on, and in front of it the
grasses still nodded, when suddenly the still-
ness was broken by
a shot and an

answering

In Training for Sport

113

roar from the hunted tiger. Unscathed, he
bounded away in the direction of a narrow

watercourse which seamed the face
of the precipice, and the next instant
Maula Bux was confronted by an
angry tiger which appeared to have
arisen from the ground at his feet.
To the elephant, accustomed in wild
life to due deference even from tigers,
this was a startling occurrence; but
the thought of flight did not pass
through his brain. Instantaneously,
almost mechanically, he had swung
out his fore-foot and felt the resistance
of a heavy body. The tiger fell back-
wards, and half slipping, half leaping,

reached the foot of the precipice and dis-

appeared in the heavy grass. From above it

was easy to follow the subsequent events.

Escape was impossible from the semicircle of

elephants and from the hail of rifle bullets, and

the tiger, fighting to the last, was soon over-

powered.

From that day the elephant Maula Bux was

H

114 The Life of Qn Elephant

classed as a staunch shooting elephant, and
was almost expected to do the impossible as
well as the possible. He found it natural
to defend himself, and even to act on the
offensive if he were in danger from man or
beast; in such cases his courage and quick
temper lent a zest to combat. But it was a
different matter when in cold blood to advance
upon a concealed tiger, savage with his wounds
and awaiting only a favourable opportunity to
tear and destroy. On these occasions he did
advance, but it was only by order of his mahout
or rider, to whom, through affection, he had given
obedience ; and often he obeyed in spite of the
refusal and even ignominious flight of others of
his tribe, whose courage was not so high or
training so efficacious, thereby proving that even
the tendency, so marked in most animals, to
follow a lead, had been overcome in his case.
But what appeared to be most difficult to this
elephant was, that he was permitted no partici-
pation in the combat that so frequently followed.
He could have understood if, when the tiger
charged, he too might charge and slay his

In Training for Sport 115

Opponent with tusk, or crush him underfoot ;
but to stand without movement, trusting to his
rider to stop the onslaught, was almost too much
for his endurance. Indeed, on one occasion he
had met his adversary with tusks held hori-
zontally, and before the tiger could get his hold,
had hurled him to the ground and stamped him
to a pulp, only to be scolded, even chastised for
following his own instincts and not reposing
perfect confidence in his master. The elephant
had witnessed some accidents happen in the
early period of his hunting life; he had seen a
tiger, seemingly fixed to the head of a defence-
less elephant, pulling it to earth or clinging to
its hind-quarters, biting and scratching through
some supreme seconds of satisfying vengeance.
He was on such occasions always eager to rush
into the fray, to force his blunted tusks through
the attacker until his grip relaxed: but here
also he was prevented from interfering, and
by degrees became so obedient that even in
moments of the greatest urgency he would await
the word of command.

Thus he gradually attained to the highest pitch

116 The Life of an Elephant

of training, when he would stand absolutely still
in the midst of confusion and uproar, advance
or retreat without hesitation, in short, sacrifice
his identity to his master, and become but a
dirigible tower which could follow the jungle
tribes into their fastnesses and attack them in
places where man would be helpless before
them,

From one indignity his size and value pre-
served him. He was not made to carry home
the spoils of the chase ; the intense repugnance

of wild herbivorous

a animals to blood and
death is most marked
in the elephant, and
it is a sore trial to
them to be laden with
the carcasses of the
slain, to have their

hides crimson with
blood, to be followed by swarms of eager
insects. And even when washed clean from
the taint, the harness yet remains unpurified,

and forever to these sensitive nostrils is

In Training for Sport 117

obnoxious. The smaller and less valuable of
the stud were therefore used for this purpose,
although the nervous and timid ones were
not suitable. Such animals would at times be
roused to frenzy by their own imagination ;
they would use every endeavour to get rid of
their burdens, and the disgusted sportsmen had
to look on helpless, while a prized trophy was
being dragged through the forest, or a foolish
elephant, entangled in the ropes, would be
executing a frantic dance on the most cherished
spoils of the chase.

Fear and anger are the predominating
passions of the forest tribes. Probably in most
cases the former is the most engrossing, but its
force may be overcome by pain, hunger, parental
affection and similar feelings, and then rage
takes command, and what is known as courage
comes into play. In fact, therefore, the varying
degrees of courage in wild animals, but marks
the limit where rage becomes superior to fear.
As with animals such as the hyena, no pain,
hunger or affection would compass this end, we
call the animal cowardly ; so with the tiger and

118 The Life of an Elephant

elephant, the transition is easily reached, and
we call them courageous. Though there is
among wild animals little of the calm, calculating
courage we know as bravery in man, and though,
when it occurs, it is most generally among the
gentlest and most harmless of the forest tribes,
yet that such bravery can be taught is evident.
When a dog, a horse or an elephant can be
induced to face danger at the word of command
without the impetus of anger, it is surely proof
of training of the very highest order.

CHAPTER IX
The Kheddah

HE broad valley lay silent in the dawn of

a February morning, On every side the
forest-clad hills encircled the landscape, brilliant
with the tender green of the young foliage,

accentuated here and =

there by masses of
white blossom where
some tree, more eager
than its fellows, had
prematurely responded
to the call of spring.
The scattered clumps
of bamboo had _ lost
the vivid colouring of
the winter months, and their leaves showed a
yellow tinge which told of the approaching
heat. Through the valley a river flowed

120 The Life of an Elephant

noisily over the rounded pebbles; its murmur
rose and fell in obedience to some air-current
hardly perceptible ; it was rather as if waves of
sound followed one on another with rhythmic
precision. The wide water-course of bleached
stones and sand, which would be covered in the
monsoon with a turbid torrent, now lay peaceful
and solitary ; it was bounded by dense thickets
of young trees, which gave place to grassy
plains stretching up to the foot of the hills.
From clefts in these flowed other minor streams
with rippling waters eager to join the main
river. On the grassy plains a few cattle and
buffaloes wandered; their deep-toned bells
clanging as they moved.

As daylight appeared over the hills, and the
sun’s rays struck in slanting lines on one side
of the valley, the other seemed to grow more
dark and indefinite. Some peafowl planed with
eS extended wings from
MAN. their lofty roosting

“ \_ af aod places to warm them-
selves by the river’s

Ke : XC brink; the grazing

The Kheddah 121

deer drew off towards the shelter of the forest ;
the vultures spread their wings to the day-
light, but with no intention of quitting their
perches to seek the cooler air of the higher
altitudes till the sun was hot; and lastly, man
awoke and set about the business of the day.

It was some hours later when all was ready
for the hunt, for here the purpose was not to
drive a herd of wild elephants into a stockade,
but to run them down in the open forest, to
lasso them, and bring them captive to the camp.
It was a more sporting proceeding, where the
fate of the individual would be decided by the
speed, endurance, cleverness and courage both
of pursuer and pursued. When at last the
hunters moved in single file from the deserted
camp there were some forty elephants prepared
for the task before them. On each were
mounted two men; the one sitting on the neck
of his elephant, armed with heavy iron hook to
urge and direct during the pursuit; the other
squatting over the crupper ropes, holding in his
hand a short wooden club faced with iron spikes
which acted asa spur in time of need. Between

122 The Life of an Elephant

these two men was neatly coiled a stout rope, of
which the free end terminated in a slip-knot and
the other was firmly secured to the elephant’s .
girths. The party crossed the river and dis-
appeared in a deep cleft between the hills;
following a foot-track they undulated, still in
single file, towards a fixed goal; sometimes
descending into steep ravines and laboriously
climbing the further bank, at others proceeding
cautiously along narrow ridges, where foothold
for such ponderous animals as elephants seemed
most precarious; now passing through level
tracts of dense tree forest, and again following
the winding course of some mountain rivulet,
till at last they halted at the invitation of a man
who had evidently been awaiting their approach.
There was a whispered consultation, and the
march was resumed, until the hunters entered
a narrow valley in the hills, and here in safe
places were deposited those who came to see
without risk, and those who were content with
the excitement of witnessing the courage and
dexterity of the hunters. Along the slopes of
the valley a herd of wild elephants were moving

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The Kheddah 123

uneasily to and fro. The silent approach of
others of their kind was viewed without much
alarm, save that the scent of human beings was
repugnant to their sensitive nostrils. But as
they wandered in indecision towards the further

end of the valley, the air seemed suddenly to be

filled with the shouts of men, with the rushing
of many elephants, and with the trampling of
grass and the breaking of saplings. A panic
seized the herd, and it fled in confusion with
uplifted tails and curling trunks; and the next
moment the strangers were amongst them, each
of the forty mahouts singling out a victim and
devoting entire attention to its capture. Those

124 The Life of an Elephant

pursued ran for their lives, overcoming obstacles
which ordinarily would have been deemed in-
surmountable, hurling themselves down the
steepest slopes, but always refusing to ascend
towards the higher hills, so that the direction
of flight was towards the main river and to
the standing camp. As each wild elephant
was run to a standstill, the men attempted to
pass the running noose over its neck, but only
after many failures could this be accomplished ;
always there was a ready trunk to divert the
impending danger, or to throw off the rope
when it had reached its mark. Often, after a
duel of this kind, the hunted one recovered
its wind and the wild chase recommenced,
hampered this time by a trailing length of rope,
which had to be re-coiled while rushing through
the jungle. At last, however, the fatal noose
would be jerked tight, and then the captive
would strain against it, dragging his captor
through the forest till suffocated by his own
exertions, and thus again brought to a standstill.

Then commenced the hurried task of loosen-
ing the slip-knot so that strangulation should

The Kheddah 125

not follow, and of securing it with a strand of
hemp, so that the same danger should not
again occur; and when this was completed,
there remained nothing but to shout for help,
for amongst the densely grown trees it would be
impossible, without entanglement, which would
mean breakage of the rope, to lead the captive
into the open. In the first hour or so some
twenty of the wild elephants had been noosed,
and those mahouts who had been unsuccessful in
the chase, were now ordered to give assistance
to their more fortunate companions. It was
comparatively easy to fit a second rope, and to
lead away the wild elephant, which was kept
in position between the two tame ones, by the
ropes strained to front and rear by these latter.
Thus, after some delay the vanquished and
conquerors were all assembled in the little
valley to be inspected, and then marshalled on
the road to prison.

It was at this moment that a diversion was
created by the appearance of the herd-bull.
This animal, as usual, at some little distance

from the herd, had become excited by the

126 The Life of an Elephant

noise of the hunt, by the cries of men and
elephants, by the blind rush or flight of his
companions. He arrived in no mild humour,
at a quick walk, his trunk swinging from side
to side, and with fury
in his eyes, taking his
stand some fifty yards
distant from the help-
less mob of men and

elephants. There was
at once a cry for
Maula Bux to drive away the intruder, and our
elephant, whose bulk unfitted him for the chase,
now stepped slowly into the arena, seeming
with a glance to take in the position, and
with one wave of his trunk to learn what
manner of animal this was who proposed to
withstand him. He turned, under the pressure
of his mahout’s knees, towards the foe, who
also advanced to the combat; at a word from
Kareem, Maula Bux quickened his pace to
a charge, and the two elephants met with a
shock that forced each. backwards. But not

for long. The superior weight of the tame

The Kheddah 127

elephant soon became evident, and the wild
tusker turned to flee. With a scream of rage
Maula Bux pursued and butted the flying
foe with his blunted tusks. Had these been
of full length and sharp, they would certainly
have sunk deep into the hind-quarters of the
adversary, but as it was, the defeated elephant
pitched forward on to
trunk and knees, then re-
covered himself and fled
into the shelter of the
forest. Maula Bux was
prevented by his mahout
from following up his
victory; he stood to re-
ceive the compliments and

endearments of his driver,

and after giving a scream of triumph with
uplifted trunk, resumed his position on one
side of the troop of elephants.

These now started for camp in single file, a
captive between every two tame elephants ;
they seemed dejected at their fate, and made
but little effort to escape. From time to time

128 The Life of an Elephant

an elephant would try to break away, but was
held by the tightening ropes; or another would
throw itself on the ground, blocking the way
and causing a halt along the line. But these
delays were not serious ; the elephants continued
their journey followed by the young calves whose
mothers had been captured and, not long after
sundown, were all secured in the camp.

It was rather a pitiable scene that was dis-
closed as the silence of a moonlight night fell
on the weary camp. The prisoners struggling
at their fetters, often with blood streaming from
the wounds where the
ropes bit into the flesh;
the young calves wander-
ing around seeking for
protectionand for nourish-
ment which was denied
them; and in the out-

skirts of the camp where
the shadows were densest, the restless form
of the herd-bull who had followed the trail
of his captured harem, yet, having arrived,

knew not how to assist them, nor to what use

The Kheddah 129

to put his strength and courage. As the day
dawned he turned away, and, slowly crossing
the river, disappeared in the depths of the forest,
doubtless with a view to overtake and bring
together the remnants of the scattered herd.

Fant

ELL

ltl. tlle, watt Tt, li, a | 2 Mh ifiuil tal ie

But even this solace was denied him; his
attempt to rescue the herd on the previous day,
his presence during the night in the vicinity of
the camp had resulted in his classification as an
animal dangerous to human life, or at least to

human interests. The order came with the break
I

130 The Life of an Elephant

of day that he was to be followed and destroyed.
His tracks were easy to distinguish, and
soon a khaki-clad
figure accompanied
by two Indians was
on the trail; this
followed the beaten
path left by forty
elephants bringing
in the twenty cap-
tives of yesterday ;

it overlay the broad
footmarks of the herd-bull as he too had
brought up the rear of that sad procession.
Then entering the scene of the conflict it had
passed towards the higher hills and ultimately
joined a fresher track where the remainder of
the herd had met and hurried away in single
file to some haven of fancied security.

The huntsmen followed on the trail now
some hours old. They hoped that during the
heat of the day the frightened animals might
rest ; but such was not the case. Unhampered

by young calves and with a known goal before

The Kheddah 131

them, they pressed on in the vain hope of
escaping from the tyranny of man. And so
it was that when darkness fell and the trail
became invisible, the three men halted to pass
the night in the forest. They had but a rough
blanket apiece to protect them from dew and
frost, a few unleavened cakes and a little
parched pulse to satisfy their hunger, and soon
they lay by the camp fire to await the dawn
of another day. There were few sounds in
the forest save the ceaseless drip from the
trees, and occasionally . ree

the rustling of passing | f Oh GEXGD,

breezes. From time to ‘3. Jey Ghent.

time nightjars passed,

sounding monotonous notes as of sonorous
blows upon firm ice, or little owlets sat on
the branches above uttering curious cries
reminiscent of water slowly dropping from a
height. The hours passed slowly. From time
to time one of the men rose and replenished the
fire and drew a few whiffs of smoke from the
gurgling hookah. But at last there were signs
of returning day. The eastern sky was lit

132 The Life of an Elephant

with a white light which turned to yellow, then
to orange and crimson, and the sun peered
above the horizon as if curious to see what had
happened in his absence. The men took up
the trail in silence ; they were cold and hungry.
Towards midday they arrived on the edge of

a plain covered with grass which waved high
above their heads.

wf ae

Da x In the centre of this

‘i iil “ ci Nai “ita sea-stood an island

raised slightly above

the swampy soil,
: and on this island
Se a low-crowned tree stood the object
of their search. Evidently the herd were not
far distant, the grass might well conceal many
more elephants than those now left in freedom.
The men sat down and considered the case.
To approach the elephant through the grass
without noise was a hopeless task, while from
its depths to see, much less to shoot, was
impossible. They determined to wait, hoping
against hope that the bull would move from

his post of vantage on to firmer ground, into

The Kheddah 133

more open country. But as evening approached
it became evident that the animal had no such
intention ; it also became certain that another
night without food could not be spent in the
forest, and so it was that after a heated dis-
cussion the khaki-clad hunter disappeared in
the grass on the chance of being able to disable
the bull while daylight lasted. On his tracks
after a few minutes’ hesitation one of the
Indians also silently crept; the third man
remained to signal information to his com-
panions should opportunity arise.

There was for a long time silence over the
scene ; the passage of the hunters made no stir
in the tall grasses. Then suddenly the elephant
swung round and stood with uplifted trunk
facing some hidden danger. It was a moment
of anxious fear for the solitary watchman, till
from the top of the grasses a puff of white
smoke burst forth and a muffled
report reached his ears. The
elephant seemed to stagger,
and turning, plunged into the

grass and disappeared ; a ripple

134 The Life of an Elephant

seemed to mark his course till he emerged on
the further side of the swamp and entered the
forest at a swinging trot. The watcher re-
joined his companions, and together they
inspected the ground; then, as the sun was

sinking, they struck off in another direction

and reached a village where much needed food
and warmth were found.

The elephant soon subsided into a rapid
walk, which became slower as weakness followed
the loss of blood; he seemed astonished at
what had befallen him and frightened at his.
growing weakness. No rage was in his heart
as he pursued his weary way, leaving a trail

which required no care or cunning to follow.

The Kheddah 135

Till at last he felt that he could do no more
and stood leaning against the trunk of a huge
tree on the banks of a rivulet which flowed
gently through the forest. He had stood thus
for hours, till around him was gathered a dark
pool of blood, when suddenly his sensitive
trunk brought him news of the presence of man.
And now at last his heart was filled with fury.
He waited till from his post of vantage he could
locate his pursuers with accuracy, then with a
scream of fury he charged down upon them.
In those wild moments he hardly knew what
happened. In his headlong rush he caught and
trampled on at least one of his enemies. There
were shots fired, and somehow he found himself
dizzy and feeble, trying to support himself by the
aid of his massive trunk. But without avail ;
he tottered and fell with a crash, while those of
his pursuers who were still alive were bemoaning
the fate of their comrade and their own injuries,
and at the same time congratulating themselves
on having escaped with their lives from the on-
slaught of a beast which had become dangerous

only when hunted to its death,

CHAPTER X
Hunting Scenes

HOROUGHLY tested in the field in the
company of his kind the elephant, Maula
Bux, was now to be used in a more trying yet
more interesting form of sport, Relieved of
the heavy howdah which swayed at each stride
and seriously incommoded him, the elephant
had now to carry nothing but a light frame-work
on which his master sat immediately behind the
driver. Thus caparisoned he could pass readily
through the densest jungle, nor did the over-
hanging boughs present so constant an impedi-
ment to him. The animal loved these silent
roamings through the forest, when no word was
spoken lest the jungle tribes might become
aware of the presence of man: when he was
guided by pressure of knee or touch of hand ;
when he could as he passed graze on the

Hunting Scenes 37

various delicacies that the forest provided
and so obtain that constant change of diet so
essential to his health.

He too was able to participate in the sport
that his master sought. The keenness of his
sense of scent would often detect some animal
invisible owing to the denseness of the forest
growth, and, especially when some animal
obnoxious to him, such as pig, bear, panther or
tiger was in the vicinity, his sensitive trunk
would be waved in its direction merely in
order to assure himself of its whereabouts, but
thus, all unwittingly, giving notice to his com-
panions. The sportsman who proposes to make
acquaintance with the jungle tribes and neglects
the two important advantages of silence and of
gaining information by watching the elephant
he rides, a being much more gifted than himself
in forest lore, will have but little success in his
attempts. The human voice is audible at great
distances amongst the silent trees, and at its
sound every animal, aware of the presence of
man, either removes to a distance or crouches

in concealment till the danger is past. Then,

138 The Life of an Elephant

too, in a country where wild elephants abound
the passage of an elephant grazing as he goes
creates no alarm: the scent of human beings
seated high above the ground is carried upward
and forward by the breezes, so that good oppor-
tunity is given to study the forest tribes while
at their ease. To do this to perfection the
early morning hours or those before nightfall,
sometimes even the bright moonlit nights of
India, are most suitable, and for success in a
pursuit so interesting to the naturalist as well
as to the sportsmen, the elephant is a most
useful coadjutor.

Long before the sun rose one morning, when
the stars were twinkling through the frosty dew
and the sky seemed of inky blackness Maula
Bux strode, with his companions, away from
the little encampment where shrouded forms
still lay around the camp fires. A dog had
eos barked in protest at being left

hae 7a) behind and his appeal had been

heard; he was now

sitting, shivering
with happiness,

Flunting Scenes 139

beside his master. A horse whinnied, and the
watchful grooms stirred to find the cause of
the disturbance; then
the darkness of the
night shut out all further
movement. The ele-
phant, on whom this
darkness had _siittle

effect, though he used his trunk constantly as
a blind man will use his stick on an unknown
road, moved steadily away towards the hills,
the intention being to intercept the forest tribes
as they moved, heavy with food, to their resting
places for the day. From time to time their
presence could be heard, but nothing could be
seen by human eyes. There would be the
belling of the sambhar, or the sharp alarm of
the swamp deer, followed by a rustling through
the grass: or from the distance would come the
grunting of some tiger disappointed in the
chase, or the trumpeting of a herd of elephants.

When daylight broke Maula Bux had reached
the foot of a range of hills which barred the
view to the north, while to the south extended

140 The Life of an Elephant

the level grasslands from whence arose here
and there little clouds of white mist denoting
the presence of stagnant water. He climbed to
the top of a small eminence and in the distance
his riders saw a sight which compensated them
for the chilly ride in the silent darkness, and
even for such further exertions as might fall to
their lot during the day. A herd of bison were
scattered over the plain below moving in full
security towards some plateau in the hills where
they proposed to pass the day. In the dim
morning light they gave the impression of a
herd of enormous black cattle grazing its way
homeward. The calves ran by their mothers’
sides or gambolled aimlessly in their neighbour-
hood; the cows moved stolidly along browsing
on some tender branch as they passed, or
pulling mouthfuls of the wet grass. And last of
all came two bulls whose massive forms seemed
to dwarf the other members of the herd.

And now the sun shot suddenly into the
horizon, and the scene changed. Blacks and
greys disappeared from the landscape and vivid

colours took their place, in the greens of grass

Hunting Scenes 141

and foliage, in the orange and reds of the
flowering trees. The herd of bison was also
transformed; they passed a few yards below
the hunters in all their pride of graceful strength.
The bulls were of a deep chocolate colour,
turning to black in the shadows; the head was
held high, as if the weight of the curved horns,
green and polished like clouded jade, was
hardly felt; the light-blue eyes gazed serenely
and confidently around, and the golden yellow
of the slender lower limbs contributed to the
effect of agility in spite of the ponderous bulk of
an animal some eighteen hands in height. The
herd passed slowly by without suspicion or
alarm, imprinting on the minds of the hunters
an indelible picture seldom seen save by those
who pass their lives in the forest ; and, as they
grazed, a slant of the fickle morning breeze
brought to the herd the taint of man. They
swung round facing the path in which they had
come, inhaling the air with suspicion, and then
the signal for flight came in a sharp whistle
from one of the cows. The herd turned and

fled, galloping over the broken ground with the

142 The Life of an Elephant

agility of startled deer, earth and gravel flying
as they passed, so that in a few seconds only a
cloud of dust remained as proof of their presence.

The party wandered on skirting the line of
hills, entering from time to time some deep-cut
ravine and crossing its steep watershed into the
next. Often when slowly mounting to the
summit of these little hills a sambhar or swamp-
deer would be seen passing along the further
ridge, where, later on, selecting some leafy tree,
he would lie on its northern side so as to be in
the shade during the heat of the day. Here
chewing the cud reflectively, with ears con-
stantly twitching to and fro, and with sensitive
nostrils testing the air, he would rest till the
evening shadows lengthened.

These animals passed unmolested, and it was
not till the broad track of a buffalo-bull was
found that the sportsmen seemed at last to be
in earnest. They descended from the elephant
and took up the trail, following it with ease on
the softer ground, losing it frequently as the
animal passed over stones and rocks, recover-
ing it again after much search. The sun was

Flunting Scenes 143

now getting hot, and it was certain that the
buffalo must soon be overtaken; the men went
cautiously, when suddenly from behind a
crashing in the jungle, the thudding of heavy
feet was heard. The buffalo, with the cunning
of his tribe, had returned upon his trail and
then struck off at right angles to it before lying
down for the day. He had heard the trackers
and suffered them to pass, but the sight of the
elephant, which was following some three
hundred yards behind, was too much for him.
He rose to his feet and bounded heavily away.

The buffalo, with head held horizontally, tore
through the dense forest ; it seemed impossible
that his vast bulk and wide-spread horns should
find a way without colliding with some tree, or
that his foothold on broken and stony ground
should be so secure. The impression produced
on the eye was that one saw the whole of the
massive head and body at one time; the fact
was, that always at least one half was covered
by the thick vegetation.

In his hasty flight from an imaginary danger
the buffalo took no thought of the men who

144 The Life of an Elephant

had passed him. A shot rang out dully, muffled
in the interlaced crown of the trees, but no
sign was given by the frightened animal. The
hunters followed, and some yards ahead found
blood on the trail. They followed eagerly until
the gallop of the hunted was reduced to a walk,
and then they too acted with circumspection.
To a wounded animal comes after the first
flurry a determination to reach some place of
fancied security, and as long as self-control lasts:
the line of retreat will be straight towards a
fixed point. Zig-zagging in the track denotes
growing weakness and inability to persist in
any given direction. But this trail led almost
straight through the
fi) forest, and dis-

Mi
ibe

upon to assist, and slowly the party entered

the stronghold of the wounded buffalo. Not

appeared at last in
a sea of high grass,

il
i

" wherein) man was

ul

Way) Here, then, the ele-

Ate

i of himself helpless.

Hii

—=

phant was called

Hunting Scenes 145

a sign of the great beast was visible. The
sun shone brightly on the green grass, now
unruffled by any breeze; no track could be
discerned, for the vegetation had closed over
the passage of the jungle tribes who below
had formed little tunnels for their use. It was
on the elephant that the hunters must depend
for information as to the whereabouts of the
hunted. And this was soon given. Maula
Bux halted and waved his trunk above the
grasses, then for one second it remained poised
pointing to the source whence came the tainted
air.

At the same moment there was a rush through
the grass, and the ready rifle again was fired.
The rush subsided to a walk, and behind the
elephant the grass nodded and trembled as a
way was forced through it by some invisible
animal. Some twenty yards
behind followed the hunters, till
the end of the savannah land
was reached, and then a heavy
head armed with spreading

horns protruded. The buffalo,
K

146 The Life of an Elephant

wounded to death, still retained the instinct to
avoid the open ground. Almost reeling with
weakness, he turned to regain the shelter of
the grass, and fell with a last merciful shot
through the brain. In the evening light the
hunters returned slowly to camp. Ere they
reached it, the jungle tribes were again alert on
their way to grazing or to hunt. From the
slopes on the hills and from its deep-cut ravines
they stole quietly forth, testing the air at each
footstep, listening for any suspicious sound, till
satisfied of safety, they rushed with quick bounds
from the edge of the forest, where lurking foes
might lie in wait, to the open country, where
keenness of sight came to the aid of scent and

hearing.

CHAPTER. Xl

Some Dangers of the Forest

HE inborn instincts of an animal are
difficult to eradicate, yet it is to be
expected that constant association with man,
his greatest enemy, would result in a con-
siderable relaxation of the usual suspicion
and caution which are shown in a wild state.
And this is no doubt the case. Thus, for
‘instance, when pitfalls are dug in localities
frequented by elephants, it is probably the
scent of human beings which often provides a
safeguard to the intended victim, but this scent
would convey no warning of danger to the
domesticated animal. In the same way, wild
elephants are rarely, if ever, entangled in quick-
sands, while the tame elephant, deferring instinct
to obedience, is not infrequently engulfed.
In the course of many years’ wandering in

148 The Life of an Elephant

the jungles, it was impossible but that mis-
haps should occur to the elephant, Maula Bux.
When he crossed over wide stretches of burnt
grasslands, the stout, charred spikes protrud-
ing six inches or more from the surface were
especially dangerous to the soft, broad soles of
his feet. At times one would penetrate deeply
and break off in the wound, when the elephant
would halt and endeavour to withdraw it with
his trunk, or to get rid of it by violent rubbing
on the ground. Frequently these attempts at
relief were futile, and the mahout would descend
and remove the splinter with his knife, cleansing
and anointing the wound on arrival in camp.
Or again, the ill-fitting harness would fret the
withers or back of the animal, more especially if
the skin were allowed to become dusty or dirty ;
and the greatest care had then to be taken that
deep-seated ulcers were not formed. Or, as the
elephant became older, there would be trouble
with his teeth, the new growth perhaps not
being strong enough to push aside the old.
For, in consequence of the unnatural life in

confinement, slight injuries might produce vastly

Some Dangers of the Forest 149

different results to those which would follow
when the animal was in a normal condition.
The recuperative powers of the forest tribes
will appear amazing to those whose acquaintance
is only with domestic animals, though these
may be of allied species. In the same way,
uncivilized man shows a fortitude, even an
indifference to injuries which would incapaci-
tate one born and bred in more artificial
surroundings. Nature may indeed be cruel
in order to prevent racial deterioration in her
creatures ; she may promptly destroy the unfit
and diseased ; but she aids in the recovery of
those who through accident are thrown for a
time on her mercy. Nature, in short, takes
or saves life in a beneficent effort for the com-
mon welfare, while mankind assumes the same
responsibility for the benefit of the individual.
The naturalist will not have many oppor-
tunities of watching the behaviour of animals
when suffering from severe injuries unless
these are inflicted intentionally by man or beast ;
for only in the latter cases does the hunter
follow up his advantage at once and so prevent

150 The Life of an Elephant

that immediate concealment which is the first
instirict of the wounded. The object of this
concealment is no doubt to secure refuge from
the attacks of flies, which if successful are
certain to prevent rapid healing, and in many
cases result in alingering death. Another reason
for hiding is found in the necessity of avoiding
the presence of other forest tribes, who all
resent rather than pity the distress of the lame
and suffering, probably because such unfortunates
become a source of danger to the community
by attracting the attacks of the great or small
carnivora. Finally, it is only in complete rest
that bones can reunite and lacerated muscles
heal, while the pain of the wound and the fever
which follows destroy the appetite which is the
sole incentive that drives animals to roam.
Instances have been observed of the disappear-
ance of wounded tigers in spite of days devoted
to skilful tracking; yet after the search had
been abandoned the animal has been known,
even seen, to leave some dense cover which had
been specially watched, and at once to proceed
on a lengthy march to some more retired and

Some Dangers of the Forest 151

therefore safer locality. With elephants injuries
have been under observation which were
followed by a good recovery, though this would
certainly have proved fatal in the case of
domestic animals. And this fact is interesting,
because an elephant is prevented from rest in
concealment, first, because of his large bulk, and
second, because he cannot go without food for
long periods, as carnivorous animals can. On
the other hand he can protect every part of his
body against the attacks of flies by means of his
trunk or tail, and so is in a particularly favour-
able position in this regard. Should one of
these members be absent, however, he is no
better off than his neighbours, as was proved by
the fact that a noted and dangerous rogue
elephant when killed was found to have lost
his tail, probably when flying from a victorious
opponent, and the attack of flies had resulted in
-a deep and wide cavity, which was probably the
reason of his evil temper, and would certainly
have ultimately resulted in his death.

A panther, whose tail had dropped off in
consequence of a bullet wound, found means,

152 The Life of an Elephant

with the cunning of his tribe, to avoid the
attacks of the winged torments of the forest.
When examination became possible, some
weeks after the infliction of this wound, the
bullet was found flattened at the base of the
spine, and externally there was no mark whatever
to be observed on his denuded hind-quarters.
In the same way, on more than one occasion
deer have been observed who, disappearing
with shattered hind-legs, have been shot weeks
after in their old haunts in excellent condition,
though a healed stump replaced what might
have been considered to have been a limb
almost necessary to their existence. From
wounds of the internal organs an animal will
rarely recover, but from those of trunk or limb
which do not prevent it from taking a share in
the life of the jungle, it will recover, provided
it is allowed to follow its instincts of concealment,
rest, and starvation.

A narrow rivulet flowed sluggishly from
the hills between steep-cut banks of clay.
Along its borders were scattered willow trees,
and here and there it formed wide morasses

Some Dangers of the Forest 153

where flourished high grasses densely grown,
forming impenetrable cover to those animals,
such as the tiger and swamp deer,
whose wide feet bore them safely
over the ooze. To cross this
rivulet at its narrowest part was
the task set to Maula Bux by his
driver, and, although in his wisdom
the animal at first refused the
passage, yet, urged once and again,
his fore-feet slid reluctantly down
the steep bank and he at once sank

up to his shoulders in the quick-
sand. Immediately water seemed to pour from
the soil and a miniature lake was formed around
the struggling elephant, while efforts to with-
draw his feet seemed to make matters worse.
As he sank yet deeper into the liquid sand,
bis hind-feet were dragged from the bank, and
now only his body was visible above the water.
His companions quickly dismounted, but could
give but little aid. For the elephant lay first
on one side and withdrew two legs from the
swamp, then rolled heavily over on the other

154 The Life of an Elephant

in a vain effort to free his limbs. He seemed
for the first time in his life to be in an agony
of apprehension: at one moment to lose all
courage and lie quiescent, the next to be filled
with a fury which led to speedy exhaustion.
Meanwhile he sank deeper and deeper, till

only the top of his

= wee eee back and head were

a

above water, while
his trunk waved frantically to and fro seeking
for some hold, or for some object, living or
inanimate, that might aid him in his struggle.
While the elephant was in these extremities,
Kareem, aware that he ran the danger of
being seized and thrust under the body of
the frightened animal, at the risk of his life
slashed the girths of the harness and the
heavy grass-stuffed saddle fell loose, and
was immediately seized and disappeared, the
waving trunk seeming to implore for further
aid. Then in all haste, saplings, brushwood,
anything that could be collected, were thrown
to the elephant, and with such good effect that
at last there seemed to be no further fear from

Some Dangers of the Forest 155

drowning. With his eyes below the surface of
the water the trunk still continued to grope on
all sides for something to grasp, till in a lucky
movement it encountered the stem of a willow
tree. Instantly the powerful member was coiled
around it, and it was evident that if the tree held
there was a chance of escape from the terrible
position. The tree indeed bent and cracked,
and the roots were strained to the utmost, but at
last with a mighty effort Maula Bux hauled him-
self up the bank and stood, covered with mud, on
the further side of the stream. Then glancing
round with blood-shot eyes, he seemed to search
for the enemy that had done him this wrong.
The men stood silently watching, afraid to
interfere. They passed unnoticed, but there
were trees and grasses on which to vent his
fury, and these he proceeded to overthrow and
trample on, till around him was a wide space
cleared of every living thing. This senseless
rage wore itself out at last, and it was a
fatigued elephant that later submitted to be led
quietly away. Yet both he and the mahout
had learnt their lesson; the one in future would

156 The Life of an Elephant

not obey when instinct told that there was
danger, while the other would wisely refrain
from enforcing an order which the elephant
showed continued reluctance to carry out.

Of the method of capture of elephants by
pitfalls much has been written, but perhaps
the facts remain unaltered, that it is a method
economical in initial outlay and expensive ulti-
mately in the loss of animal life. A considerable
proportion of elephants are permanently maimed
or injured by the fall, while there is no possibility
of selecting animals suitable for subsequent train-
ing. This system of hunting is perhaps the
most ancient in existence, and is adapted to
the capture of all the jungle tribes; to that of
the hare, which steps on a cunningly contrived
door which opens only downwards ; of the deer
or pig, which springs across an inviting gap
in the hedge surrounding the wheat fields, to
find itself impaled on a bamboo spike in the
concealed pit beyond; to the tiger, bison, or
elephant, which quietly passing along well-
known. paths is suddenly hurled into the dark
depths. prepared for them; but it is better

Some Dangers of the Forest 157

adapted to the taking of animal life, than to
procuring living specimens for the subsequent
service of man.

Moreover, when many pits are dug it may be
impossible to visit each daily, and the entrapped
animals may suffer the torments of suspense and
of thirst for many hours; and ultimately, when
the pits are no longer required and are care-
lessly left covered, they present a deadly danger
to man and beast, in that in case of accident
there is little chance that help will be forth-
coming, and death by starvation is almost
inevitable.

It was into one of these abandoned pits that
our elephant fell when passing through the
forest. The fabric of the
solid earth giving way
under foot, the short rush
through space, the shock of
sudden arrest amid showers

of falling earth and stones
were sensations which, though instantaneous,
yet produced a feeling of indescribable horror.
It was experienced both by the elephant and his

158 The Life of an Elephant

riders, one of whom was in the fall thrown
violently forward, and found himself lying on
the further edge of a chasm in which his com-
panions had disappeared. And it was fortunate
that this was so, and that by the aid of a
rope hastily thrown he was able to rescue his
fellow-man from the rage of the imprisoned
elephant.

The animal stood firmly wedged in between
the narrow walls of his prison, but already he
had commenced to dig with tusks and fore feet
in the endeavour to make a way to freedom. It
was a task which might in hours or days have
been accomplished without assistance had the
earth been of a soft and yielding nature. But
here the hard clay rendered the attempt almost
hopeless. At length the elephant became
calmer, and was willing to listen to the exhor-
tations of his mahout, who sat on the edge of
the pit and spoke soothingly to him, who
offered him dainties of leaves and jungle fruit,
nor left him till many men appeared on the
scene with axes and shovels. Then from all
sides, earth, brushwood, bundles of grass were

Some Dangers of the Forest 159

thrown into the pit to be trampled down by the
willing elephant, till after long labour his head
and shoulders appeared above the surface and
with an effort he was once again on firm land.
Far different would have been the fate of any
wild animal with none to help ; for, though there
may have been no witness of their struggles, a
record remains imprinted on the surroundings
even when only a few bones are left to tell the

piteous tale. In the midst of a forest which had
stood for centuries were once found the ruins of
a populous town; of the houses and temples
only the foundations remained, level with or
hidden by the leaf-mould of years. The area
covered by these ruins, unsuspected by the
passer-by, in itself indicated the existence of a

160 The Life of an Elephant

well-to-do people, and this surmise was confirmed
by the discovery of two wells of large diameter
not very far apart, which had evidently been
filled in at a time when the inhabitants were
put to the sword and their dwellings destroyed.

One of these wells it was proposed to open
out for the supply of water to a new generation
of workers in the forest that now flourished on
what was once a more prosperous landscape.
Some forty feet from the surface and yet twenty
feet above water level lay the bones of a tiger
blackened with age; the claws of both fore and
hind-feet were worn to stumps, and, looking up
towards the light, one could see the reason in
the masonry torn from the walls of the shaft, and
the deep indentations on every side of it. One
could measure the height to which the animal
had leapt in the first few hours before his
strength fell from him, and the ever-increasing
distance from freedom that marked his failing
vitality: the lowest marks were scarce three
feet from where the skeleton lay, and this long
drawn-out death took perhaps fifteen or twenty
days to complete. Below the remains of the

Some Dangers of the Forest 161

tiger other relics came to light, household
utensils, such as ancient flour-mills ; carved tiles
which once adorned wealthy houses; bricks
from demolished walls, and lastly, weapons of
iron, spear-heads and swords, rusty and brittle,
and some poor relics of the slain.

And when the work was completed and pure
water once again flowed into the well from
subterranean stores, the natives, perhaps
descendants of the conquerors or of the van-
quished, refused to drink lest they should be
defiled by the deeds of their predecessors.

CHAPTER XIl

Processional Duties

T was amongst scenes similar to those de-
picted that the elephant Maula Bux spent
many years of his life, till advancing age impaired
his agility and increasing bulk interfered with
his speed. He had grown in imposing beauty
with good treatment and with the comparative
freedom of a sporting life, and his value was
now so great that they hesitated to expose him
further to the chances of a forest life. He was
sold to an Indian Prince to enhance the dignity
of the State, to carry the ruler in procession, to
be lent to those guests whom his owner wished
to honour by affording sport with absolute safety
amongst the more dangerous of the jungle tribes.
His driver, of course, accompanied him into
this change of life ; for probaby without his old
friend, the elephant would have become useless

Processional Duties 163

for his work. He would first have fretted at the
absence of his companion, and then have vented
his annoyance on his successor. A record of
many years’ successful care of Maula Bux went
with Kareem ; the presence of the mahout was
equivalent to the sale of goodwill with the
business. But neither man nor beast appreci-
ated the change. To stand day by day under
the shelter of a roof, on a cemented floor, to
be fed monotonously with fodder, stale or even
contaminated on its way to the stables; to be
stuffed with artificial food prepared by man ;
and for all exercise, to walk sedately along the
level roads was not to the tastes of the beast;
while the man regretted, as all sportsmen would,
the wild jungle, the rugged hills, the hardships
of the summer heats, and perhaps most of
all, the silent and \
mysterious nights. In Nese eee
enforced retirement,
the thoughts of both
often went back to the
forests and _ recalled

events, each with
L.2

164 The Life of an Elephant

some background, whose beauty had, all un-
known to themselves at the time, permanently

impressed itself on their memories.

At rare intervals both man and elephant
were given the chance of revisiting the scenes
they loved so well. There would be bustle
and hurry at headquarters in preparation for
the visit of some potentate. Harness and
howdahs were being burnished ; tents standing
in rows of snowy whiteness were being repaired ;
strings of bullock carts were tailing along the
road with stores of furniture and provisions. In
the forest for leagues around, pit-falls were being
dug to entrap the tigers and panthers, so that
the local supply within reach of a central camp
might not fall short; for it is in the nature of
eee orners ching that hese animals
ee My. seee-swhich require a_ large

~ Vode we supply of living food must

Processtonal Duties 165

also enjoy a large area in which they may satisfy
their hunger without exhausting the existing
head of game. At last the day would arrive
when the shoot was to commence. Maula Bux
on such occasions was, indeed, but one of some
two hundred elephants, but, bearing as he did,
the principal guest, he was the centre of attrac-
tion.. His work was easy. When the tiger or
other animal had been located, when it had
been surrounded so that there was little chance
of flight, it was then his duty to stride into the
arena, to find the quarry, to stand as firm as a
tower when the shot was fired, and to remain so,
in spite of attack until the affair was over. There
was nothing to disturb his equanimity ; his rider
was probably trained to the use of gun and rifle
from infancy and never made a mistake ; and,
even if this were not the case, there were ready
rifles in his vicinity to complete the work
which on occasion may have been unskilfully
commenced.

To the elephant such trips were joyful
occurrences, for he was once more in the wilds
with all their fascination of running water and

166 The Life of an Elephant

growing vegetation, living under the open sky
with all the sounds of an exuberant nature
around him. For Kareem, the mahout, the
change was also welcome, for besides observing
and criticising the woodcraft of others, he was
in a responsible position in driving princes to
their pastime, while he returned rich in presents
to resume once more a monotonous life.

On the occasion of State processions there
was little pleasure or profit to be won. In fact,
the mahout secretly re-
sented’ the order to
deck his charge in
heavy embroidered
cloths which almost
swept the ground on
either side; to secure
in its place the heavy
gilded howdah, to seat

himself on cloth-of-gold so that little was
visible of his elephant save a_ forehead
fantastically painted in brilliant colours, and a
pair of golden tusks. Still more, he objected

to be accompanied on either side by spearmen,

Processional Duties 167

as if his elephant ever required more restraint
than he could bring to bear. And so it was
that on such occasions, the distasteful work
over, he would hurriedly remove the trappings
of State, and they two would resort to some
quiet pool in the river, and most thoroughly
remove, not only the dust of the road, but
also every sign of the adornment prescribed.
During such operation, Kareem would con-
verse with his “brother” freely, expressing his
opinion on the folly of such shows, and com-
paring the present with the old days in the
forest, when they were one in pleasure and
in danger; and moreover, enjoyed plentiful
rations, for the man good venison, and for the
elephant, all that the forest could yield of
succulent fodder.

In every elephant’s life comes a time when he
is possessed of an evil spirit, when the world
seems black before him, when good nature
is replaced by a petulant and savage disposition.
In the wild state this indisposition rapidly
passes away: the animal feeds on astringent

herbs and roots, or eats earth in large quantities

168 The Life of an Elephant

to scour himself out; he expends his super-
fluous energies in destroying trees and up-
rooting bamboos, and soon regains his evenness
of temper. In confinement none of these re-
medies are available, and he often goes from
bad to worse, ultimately to be butchered with
volleys of bullets, when one well-directed shot
would have ended his career.

Kareem, the mahout, in daily intercourse
with his charge, noticed an unevenness of temper,
a loss of appetite, a repugnance for the three
hours’ sleep which the healthy elephant permits
to himself; and lastly, the discharge from the
temporal gland which is a certain, though not con-
stant, sign of this distemper. He strengthened
the shackles of his charge and gave him cool-
ing medicines; but even he had never seen
the strength of Maula Bux exerted to the full.
In the early morning hours, when all slept, the
devil entered into the body of Maula Bux, who
with one mighty wrench burst the chains that
held his hind-legs in tether, and then placing
his hind-foot on the shackles between his fore-

legs tore them asunder as if made of whipcord

‘*A MAN, SEATED HIGH ON A PLATFORM, WAS WATCHING NOCTURNAL
ROBBERS.”

Processional Duties 169

instead of iron. Then, once more free, he
strode away in the direction of the forest, leaving
behind him a trail of destruction. It was well
that the world was asleep and that not many
human beings crossed his path, for long
familiarity had resulted in contempt of man, and
he would gladly have satisfied his unreasoning
rage in slaughter. Once indeed when crashing
through the fields and
trampling the ripening
crops, he was annoyed
by the cries of a man
who, seated high on a
platform, was watching
for nocturnal robbers.
In an instant Maula
Bux had demolished

the platform and trampled its occupant in the

dust; and then, yet further excited by wanton
bloodshed, he had raged onwards till he reached
the forest. Here he gave vent to his passions
by butting the trees and breaking off saplings,
until his forehead was covered with blood and

he stood in sullen exhaustion.

170 The Life of an Elephant

It was not long before he was missed by
Kareem and the alarm was raised; an alarm
which grew as the broad trail was followed
and the extent of the mischief done proved the
violent temper of the runaway. The men
followed mounted on many female elephants
and bearing ropes and shackles to lead away
their captive. But it was not till nightfall that
they found him, and it was then too late to make
any attempt on his liberty. With break of day
they were again on the trail, and discovered
Maula Bux standing in the vantage ground of a
small lake in the heart of the forest. They
surrounded the lake, but were disappointed that
the tusker would not fly from them, but stood
awaiting their pleasure. They, losing courage,
waited around discussing the safest method
of approach. But a safe way was hard to find.
As the female elephants approached within
striking distance Maula Bux charged down
upon them with a shrill scream of rage. Those
that he encountered were violently thrown to
the ground, the others scattered and fled, and
the victor watched with sullen eye the removal

Processional Duties 171

of the wounded nor made any attempt to follow
the flying foe.

The word went forth that the elephant must
be shot, and, while some returned to head-
quarters to obtain the necessary permission, the
others kept the fugitive in view as he listlessly
roamed through the forest. It was then that
Kareem, with bitter grief in his heart, came
to the conclusion that life without his brother
would be of no use to him, and determined to
recapture him single-handed or die in the
attempt. Preparing some balls of sweetmeat
in which large doses of opium were concealed
he walked slowly up to the maddened elephant,
and, as soon as he was detected, stood and
spoke to him in terms of
endearment. The crowd
of natives watched the
scene with breathless
interest. They saw the
great elephant double

up his trunk and cock
his ears on the point of charging down upon
this insignificant intruder; then, as the man

172 The Life of an Elephant

continued to advance talking the while, they
saw the trunk fall listlessly to the ground and
the elephant stand as if undecided what to do.
Now the man, barely more than half the
height of the elephant, was alongside him, was
stroking his trunk and rubbing his eyes and
chin: he was offering him sweetmeats, which
the elephant was devouring; and now, sitting
down in front of his brother, seemed as uncon-
cerned as if the beast was at home in his stable.
It was not long before the opium took effect
and Maula Bux became too dazed to carry out
any further mischief; and there for some days
he stood, again securely tethered, guarded on
each side by a female elephant, with his driver
constantly on the watch until the time arrived
when he could without fear be permitted to
be taken back to his place and to resume his

wonted life of good health and good humour.

CHAPTER XIII
The End

COBRA was coiled in

the sunshine on the

dusty plain, each curve making

a point of light: near by lay

a ghostly replica of himself, a

transparent tissue reproducing

every scale and every marking of his body;

and now, resplendent ina new coat of mail, at

ease after long days of inconvenience, with

poison glands full and stomach empty, the

snake awaited what the future should bring.

The birds twittered y
overhead and_ the Ls os

rays of the sun
struck with agree- 7

oe
ir

able warmth; and A pr

then a hot wind

174 The Life of an Elephant

awoke in the south raising small whirls of dust,
giving warning to all living animals that it was
time to seek shelter from
heat and light. The snake
uncoiled himself and _ his
black length undulated

over the plain, leaving a furrow in the dust
transversely marked by the large scales of
his belly. He continued his journey till he
arrived at a stack of green-leaved branches
which offered a cool and ‘safe retreat, and,
entering, disappeared from view.

It was sunset when the elephant, Maula Bux,
returned from the labours of the day. For long
hours he had borne the heavy trappings of
state, which entirely enveloped his body and
prevented the cooling breeze from reaching his
sensitive skin. On the top of these heavy
cloths of gold and silk he had carried the state
howdah, itself no mean weight, wherein sat
those whom the people delighted to honour.
Preceded, surrounded, and followed by spear-
men, by bearers of ‘‘ Chaunries ” and umbrellas,
he had paced the processional path, unalarmed

«AIESWIH GATIOONA ANVNS AHY,,

The End 175

by the shouts of the populace, by the reports of
guns and explosions of fireworks, all alike
naturally repugnant to him. He had carefully
picked his way through the crowd, harming
none; lightly with his trunk setting aside those
who intruded in his path; and now, another
day of painful duty passed, he had been relieved
of his load, had poured
water on his heated re ees
body and cooled himself ie oy i
in the evaporation of
the evening breeze; he
had disposed of his
rations and stood at rest watching his mahout,
who in a neighbouring hut was preparing his
evening meal.

The sun set and soon the moon was shining
over the plain; one by one the lights were
extinguished and the noise from the bazaar
ceased. At such times one could comprehend
the dreamy attitude of this huge beast; doubt-
less his memory turned to similar glorious
nights passed in the peace of the forest, when

absolute contentment made for happiness ; or to

176 The Life of an Elephant

those other times, when, though subject to man,
he roamed the jungles in sympathy with him.
The elephant had leaned forward to draw a
branch of the green fodder from the pile before
him, and was __ instantly
aware of a sharp blow on
the end of his extended
trunk. A black snake was
-_ rearing its head from
=g amongst the wilted foliage,

hissing gently as it waved
to and fro. The elephant raised his massive
fore-foot, and without haste crushed the reptile
as aman might crush any noxious insect. Then
he stood as if considering the matter.

The pain from the bite flowed in a stream of
fire up his trunk, and he
commenced to rock from side
to side in agony; now it
reached his brain and seemed
to numb it with its force; it
poured like red hot lava
through his veins, so that his

legs trembled and refused to

The End 177

support his heavy bulk. The elephant knelt
down as he had done thousands of times in the
service of man, but even
so there was no relief;
dizzy he rolled over on his
side and groaned aloud.
At once from the hut

came the watchful mahout
with the cry of, ‘What ails you, oh! my
brother?” but the elephant was unable to
respond to the exhortation to rise; he now
lay as if insensible, breathing heavily. The
mahout quickly despatched a messenger for
aid, but it was long before the ‘‘sahib” in
charge of the stud arrived. He found nothing
but an elephant extended tranquilly on the
earth, at his side squatted the mahout, weeping
bitterly with cries of, ‘My brother, my brother!”

GLASGOW : PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
BY ROBERT MACLEHOSE AND CO, LTD.

UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME

The Life of a Tiger

BY
SIR S. EARDLEY-WILMOT, K.C.LE.

Author of ‘‘ Forest Life and Sport in India”

ILLUSTRATED BY

IRIS EARDLEY-WILMOT

“(Sir S. Eardley-Wilmot isa keen and careful observer of the manners
and customs of wild creatures great and small, and his first book
‘Forest Life and Sport in India,’ published last year, revealed him as a
notable authority on the wze itime of the Jungle. In this sequel Sir
S. Eardley-Wilmot gives us the life-history of a tiger from his earliest
cubhood until the moment when he pays the final penalty for becoming
under compulsion an eater of human flesh. This true tale has many a
surprising episode, though all happens from beginning to end naturally
and by arrangement with Nature, who is as good a playwright as she is
a dramatist. This author never makes the mistake of imputing human
motives to wild animals—a mistake which is characteristic of the ‘Nature-
fakers.’ About 150 tiny thumbnail sketches by the author’s daughter
(whose line is admirable; she is almost the Phil May of Jungle-life)
and some delightful photographs by his wife enhance the fascination of
a book which is well worthy to be placed on the same shelf as the
chronicle of Mowgli’s adventures.” —Morning fost.

‘¢ This is a theme which has been handled at length twice at least
before, but in neither of these cases quite so successfully or with the
same soundness in detail and intimate knowledge.” —7he Times.

‘This most interesting, admirably written, and veracious volume.” —
Pall Mali Gazette.

‘© The book is as true to life and as fascinating as the same author’s
‘ Forest Life and Sport in India,’ and no higher praise could be given
than that.” —Outlook.

“An admirable natural history book. A sportsman’s and a natural-
ist’s book, not a sentimentalist’s.”—Mew York Sun.

«The tale is certainly very fascinating. Not only is the tiger himself
introduced, but life in the jungle is painted vividly and naturally.”—
Field.

LONDON: EDWARD ARNOLD

eres is