Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-05
ola Soup.

iioAoh SeuCleuldu, Named y acOlllOt, am
we Will let the author tell his own story:
In the autumn of 1876, l was living in
the interior OF Bengal, and I went to
spend Christmas with my friend, Major
DAILY. he MAJ RS bungalow was on the
banks OF the Ganges near Cawnpore. He
had lived there good many wears, being
chief OF the ourtermastel department at
that station, and had a great many ma
tives, elephants, bullock carts, and sol.
dlers under his command.
On the morning after my arrival, after
a cup Of early tea Gotten taken before
dayigh in India), l sat smoking with
my friend in the veranda of his bunga-
low, looking out upon the wiAdings Of
the sacred river. And, directly, asked
the major about his children Ga boy and
a girD, whom 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 elcphant2,' cried.
Exactly so. You cannot have forgot
ten Soupramany!'
"Of course not. I was here, you know
when he had that fight with the elephant,
who went mad while loading transport
with bags Of rice down wonder. saw
the mao 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 land the mad elephant
trumpeting, charged into this inclosure
Old Souplamany 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 train
ed to war, and to fight with the rhinocer-
Os, but he was TOO old to hunt them
And yeti said I, becoming animated
by the reccollection5 Of that day, "what
a gallant fight it was! Do you remem
Der how we all stood on this porch and
watched it, not daring to Gre shot lest
we should hit Old Soupramany? Do YOU
remember, too, his look when he drew
off, after fighting an hour and a half,
leaving is 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 broken from one OF his tusks?':
8 Yes, indeed" said the major. SWELL.
since then, he isJmore devoted to my dear
little ones than ever. He takes them out
whole days, and l am perfectly content
TO have them u.der his charge. I don't
like trusting Christian. children to the
care of natives; but with Old Soup l
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 chiIdren's. l had
not watched him long before he had a
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 ''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
SO abundant in the Ganges.
When Soupramany perceived what q
fine fish he had caught, he uttered one OF
those long, low gurgiing notes Of salts
faction by which an elephant expresses
JOY; and he waited patiently, expecting
jim to take his prize off the hook and
put on some more bait for him. But isl,
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!' 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
inlo the water. He tried to move jim
by low, pleading cries, 1t was curious
to note 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 wil.fful friend to
help him, he turned around as if struck
by a sudden thought, and, snatchjng up
in his trunk the box that held the bait,
came and laid it down at the majors feet
then picking up his rod, he held it out to
his master.
"What do you want me to do with this,
Old .-oup?' 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 It. The elt.
plant was not going to be teased by me
He dipped his trunk into the Gauges, and
in7 an instant squirted stream OF water
over me with all the force and precision
of a tire-engine, to the immense amuse
ment of the children.
Tie major at once made Soup sign
to stop. and, to make my peace with the
fine Old fellow, baited his hook myself
Quivering with JOY, as a baby does wher
it gets ho.d at last Of u playthiDg some
one has taken from it, Old Soupra-
many hardly paused to thank me by a
soft note Of JOY for batting his line fol-
him, before he went back 10 his place
and was again watching his cork as il
trembled in the ripples of the riyer.--St
4