The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-05-30
A coon STORY ABOUT AN ELE.
PLANT.

A coon STORY ABOUT AN ELE.
PLANT.
Old Snupramnuy' Wig FIght-An FIc'
pmnui Fishing with Chiidreu.
In the autumn of 1876 | was living in
| tue interior of Bengal, and | went to
spend Christmas with my friend, Major
Daly. The majors bungalow was on the
banks of the Gauges, near Cawnpore. Tic
had lived there Il good many years, being
chief Of the quartermaster's department
at that station, and had a great many
elephants, bullock.carts and soldiers UNI
der his command.
On the morning after my arrival, after
a cup OF early tea--Oflen taken before
daylight in India sat smoking with
my friend in the veranda of his bungalow,
looking out upon the ~windings of the
sacred river. And, directly, | asked the
major about his children, a boy and girl,
whom | had not yet seen, and begged to
know when ! should see them.
"Soupramany has taken them out
fishing" said their father.
why isn't S)upramany your great
war elephant ?" | cried.
"EKactly go. You a not have for
gotten S0upramany y
"Of course not. | was here, you
know, when he had that fight with the
elephant who went mad while loading a
transport with bags of rice down yOnder.
| saw the mad elephant when he sud,
denly began to fling the rice into the
river. His 'mahout' tried to stop him,
and he killed the mahout. The native
sailors ran away to hide themselves, and
the mad elephant, trumpeting, charged
into this Enclosure. Old SOupramany
was here, and so were Jim and Bessy.
When he saw the mad animal he threw
himself between him and the children.
The little ones and their nurses had just
time to get into the house when the
fight commenced"
" Yes" said the major, Old soup was
a hundred years old. He had been
trained to war, and to fight with the
rhinoceros, but he was too old to hunt
them,
And yet said |, becoming animated
by the recOi'ections of that day, what
a gallant fight it was. DO you remem
her how we all stood on this porch and
watched it, not daring TO fire a shot lest
we should ! it old Soupramany DO You
remember, too, hin look when he drew
off, after fighting an hour and a hall,
leaving his adversary dying in the dust,
and walked straight to the corral,
shaking his great ears, which had been
badly torn, with his head bruised, and a
great piece broken from opeof histusks :"
Yes, indeed" aaid the major. Well,
since then he is more devoted to my dear
little Unes than ever. He takes them
out whole days, and ] an perfectly con-
tent to leave them under his charge. !
don't like trusting Christian children to
the care Of natives, but with Old Soup |
know they can como 10 no HARM
What you trust children under ten
years Of aye to soup, without any other
protection"
II do" replied the major. Come
along with me, if you doubt, and we will
surprise them at their fishing"
I followed Mai. Daily, and after walk
ing half 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 q
wonder, each held q rod, with line, cork,
hook and bait, anxiously watching the
gay cork bobbiug in the water, Beside
them stood Old Soup, with an extremely
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. had not watched
long before he had a bite, for, as the
OF the Hindoos forbids them to
take life, the river warns with fishes.
The old fellow did not stir his little
eyes watched his line eargerly he was
novice in the gentle craft" He was
waiting till it wa time to draw in his
prize.
At the end of his line, as he drew it
up, was dangling one of those golden
tensh 30 abundant in the Gauges.
When Soupramany perceived what a
fine fish he had caught, he uttered one of
those long, low, gurgling notes Of salts.
action by whicn an elephat expresses
Joy, aud he waited patiently, expecting
Jim to take his prize Off the hook and
put on some more bait for him. But
Jim, the little rascal, sometimes liked 10
Old Soup. He nodded at ,s. Az
much ~ to say, " Look out, and you'I
see some fun now!' Then he took off
the fish, which he threw into the water,
jar placed there for that purpose, and
went back to his place without putting
any bait on Old Soups hook. The in.
telligent animal did not attempt tothrow
his line into the water. He tried To
move Jim by low, pleading cries. 1t
was curious 10 see what tender tones he
seemed to try to give his voice.
Seeing that Jim paid no attention to
his calls, but sat and laughed as he
handled his own line, Old Soup went up
to him, and with his trunk tried to turn
his head in the direction Of the bait box.
At last, when he found that all he could
do would not induce his wilhl friend to
help him, he turned around. as If struck
by q sudden thought and ~snatching up