The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-05-03

hopt tried 70 stop him, and he killed the
mlhouL The native sailors ran away 10
hide Themselves, and the mad elephant,
trumpetibg, charged into this inclosure.
Old SoupramAny was here, and 90 were
Jim and Bessy. When he saw the mad
animal he threw himself between him and
the children. The little ones and their
nurse had Just time 10 get into the house
when the fight commenced"
@Yes,n said the major, "0ld Soup was
q hundred years old. BE had been train.
de to war, and 10 fghtW with therhinoceros,
but be was too old TO hunt then" ~
"And yet" said ], becoming animated
by the recollections Of that day" what
. gallant fight Il was. Do you remember
how we stood on this porch and watched
il, not daring TO FIRE shot lest we should
hit Old Soupramanyi Do you remember
too, his look when he drew of, after fight.
ing an hour and hall, leaving bis adver.
sary dying in the dust, and walked
straight to the corral shaking his great
ears, which had been badly torn, with his
head bruised, and great piece broken
from one OF bis tusksi'
AYES, indeed" said the major. swell,
since then he Is more devoted TO my dear
little ones than ever. he takes them out
whole days, and am perfectly content
to leave them under his charge. ! don't
like Trusting Christian children to the
care OF natives, but with old Soup / know
they can come to no harm"
"Wha,! you trust children under ten
years Of age 10 Soup without any other
protection
al do,n replied the major. "Come
along with me, II you doubt, and we will
surprise them at their fishing"
followed Major DAILY, and after walk
ing hall mile along the wooded banks
Of the river, we came upon the little group.
The two children-Jim. the elder, being
about ten-both sat still and silent for 4
wonder, each holding rod, with line,
cork, hook and bait, Auxiously watching
the gay corks bobbing in the water. Be.
side them stood old Soup, with an ex.
ceedingly large bamboo rod in his trunk,
with line, hook, bait and cork, like the
children's. / need not say took small
notice Of the children, but turned all my
attention TO their big companion: ] bad
not watched him long before he had a
bite, for, as the religion Of the Hindoos
forbids them 10 take life, the river swarms
with fishes.
The old fellow did not stir; his little
eyes watched his line eagerly; he was no
novice In "the gentle craft" He was
waiting till 1t was time to draw in his
prize.
At the end Of his line as he drew 1t up,
was one Of those golden fish so abundant
In the Ganges.
When soupramany perceived what a
fue fish he had caught, he uttered one Of
those long, gurgling notes Of satisfaction
by which an elephant expresses joy, and
be waited patiently, expecting Jim to
take his prize of the hook and put on
some more bait for him. But jim, the
little rascal, sometimes liked to plague
old Soup. He nodded at US, as much as
10 say, 3Look out, and you'll see fun nowl"
Then he took of the fish, which he threw
into water jar placed there for the pur.
pose, and went back to his place without
putting any bait on Old Soups hook.
The Intelligent animal did not attemptto
throw his line into the water. He tried
10 move Jim by low, pleading cries. II
was curious 10 see what tender tones he
seemed to try to give bis voice.
Seeing that Jim paid no attention to
his calls, but sat and laughed as he han
died his own line, Old Soup went up to
him, and with his trunk tried to turn his
head in the direction oil the baitbox. At
last, when he found that all he could do
would not induce his willful friend to
help him, he turned around, as II struck
by sudden thought, and, snatching up in
his trunk the box that held the bait,came
and laid in down at the majors feet; then
picking up his rod, he held 1t out to his
master.
"What do you want me TO do with this,
Old Soup, said the major.
The creature lifted one great foot after
the other, and again began to utter his
plaintive cry. Out OF mischief, / took
Jimmy's part, and, picking up the bait
box, pretended to run with 1t. The ele-
plant was not going to be teased by me.
He dipped his trunk into the Ganges, and
in an Instant squirted stream Of water
over me with all the force and precision
Of FIRE engine, 10 the immense amuse-
ment OF the children.
The major at once made Soup a sign TO
stop, and, to make my peace with the fine
old fellow,I baited his hook myself. Quiy.
ering with Joy, as a baby does when 1t
gets hold at last Of q plaything some one
has taken from II, old soupramany hard.
ly stopped to thank me BY q soft note Of
Joy for batting his line for him before he
went back to bis place, and was again
watching his cork as 1t trembled in the
ripples Of the river.