New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-05-15
Old Soup.


The following curious anecdote is from
a book about elephants, written by a
French gentleman, named Jacolliot, AMI
we will let the author tell his own story !:
In the autumn of 1876, / was living in
the interior OF Bengal, and | went to
spend Christmas with my friend, Major
DAILY. The majors bungalow was on the
banks OF the Ganges near Cawnpore. He
had lived there good many years, being
chief Of the Qurtermaste1' department at
that station, and had a great many ma
tiyes, elephants, bullock-carts, and SOL
d1ers under his command.
On the morning after my arrival, after
a cup of early tea Gotten taken before
daylight in India), I sat smoking with
my friend in the verands Of his bunga-
low, looking out upon the windings of
the sacred river. And, directly, l asked
the major about his children Ga boy and
girD, whom 1 had not yet seen, and
begged to know when should see them.
''Soupramany has taken them out fish
ing" said their father.
why, isn't Soupramany your great
war elephant?,' cried.
Exactly so. You cannot have forgot
ten Soupramany!''
'Of course not. [ was here, you know
when he had that fight with the elephant,
who went mad while loading transport
with bags of rice down Wonder. Isaw
the mad elephant when he suddenly be
gan 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,a 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"
eyes," said the major. Old Soup was
a hundred years old. He had been train
ed to war, and to fight with the rhinocer-
os, but he was too old to hunt them
"And yet" said I, becoming animated
by the reccollecdons Of that day, sswhat
a gallant fight it was! Do you remem-
Der how we all stood on this porch and
watched it, not daring to IRE a shot lest
we should hit Old Soupramanv? Do you
remember, too, his look when he drew
off, after fighting an hour and a half,
leaving ris adversary dying in the dust,
and walked straight to the corral, shak-
ing his great ears which had been badly
torn, with his head bruised aud a great
piece brokea from one of his tusks?'.
Yes, indeed said the major .sWell.
stree then, he is more devoted to my dear
little ones than ever. He takes them out
whole days, and am perfectly content
to have them usder his charge. / don't
like trusting Christian Children to the
care of natives; but with Old Soup I
know they can come to no harm"
Beside the children. on the banks of
the Gauges, stood Old Soup with BAN
boo rod in his trunk, with line, hook,
bait, and cork, like the children's. had
not watched him long before he had
bite; for, as the religion of the Hindoos
forbids them to take life, the river swarms
with fishes.
+ The old fellow did not stir; his little.
ewes watched his line eagerly; he was no.
novice in s'the gentle craft He was
waiting till it was time to draw IN his
prize.
At the end Of his line, as he drew it up
was dangling one Of those golden tench
80 abundant in the Ganges.
When Soupramany perceived what a
fine fish he had caught, he uttered one Of
those long, low gurgling notes Of salts.
faction by which an elephant expresses
JOY land he waited patiently, expecting
jim to take his prize off the hook and
put on some more bait fol. him. But j ia,
the little rascal, sometimes liked to
plague Old Soup. He nodded at us, as
much as to say, 'Look out, and you'll
see some fun, now!n Then he took off
the fish, which he threw into water-jar
placed there Tor the purpose, and went
back to his place without putting any
bait on Old Soups hook. The intelligent
animal did not attempt to throw his line