The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-05-21

Shouldn't you feel bad?
Every single thing you say
knew years ago.
| Where the FIRST hen came from?
Is lchdt scdRt TO kn0tC."
Old Soup.
The following curious anecdote is from
book about elephants, written by
French gentleman, named Jacolliot, an(
we will let the author tell his own story
In the autumn of 1876 | was living il
the interior of Bengal, and | went t.
spend Christmas with my FRIEND Maio
Daily, The majors bungalow was OIL
the banks of the Ganges near Cawnpore
He had lived there good many years
being chief of the quartermaster's de
partment at that station, and had grea
many natives, elephants, bullock-carts
and soldiers under his command.
On the morning after my arrival, ate,
cup of early tea Gotten taken before
daylight in India), | sat smoking will
my friend in the veranda of his bunga
low, looking out upon the windings O.
the sacred river. And, directly, l asked
the major about his children Ga boy anc
girl, whom I had not yet seen, anc
begged to know when l should see them
"Soupramany has taken them out
fishing" said their father.
Why, isn't Soupramany your great
war-elePhant?"
Exactly so. You cannot have for
gotten Soupramany!"
"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"
eyes," said the major. cold 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
then"
"And yet" said l, becoming animated
by the recollections 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 fire a shot lest
we should hit Old Soupramany? Doyou
remember, too, his look when he drew off,
after fighting an hour and half, leaving
his adversary dying in the dust, and
went straight to the corral shaking his
great ears which had been badly torn
with his head bruised, and great piece
broken from one of his tusks?"
Yes, indeed" said the major. "Well
since then, he is more devoted to my dear
little ones than ever. He takes them
out whole days, and 1 am perfectly con
tent to have them under his charge. ]
don't like trusting Christian children tc
the care Of natives; but with Old Soup
I know they can come to no HARM"
Beside the children, on the banks Of
the Ganges, stood Old Soup with a BAN
boo rod in his trunk, with line, hook
bait, and cork, like the children's. I haC
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
eyes watched his line eagerly; he was ne
novice in "the gentle craft" He wa
waiting till it was time to draw in hi
prize.
At the end of his line, as he drew i
up, was dangling one of those COLDER
trench so abundant in the Ganges.
When Soupramany perceived what :
fine fish he had caught, he uttered ont
of those long, low gurgling notes of sat
isfaction by which an elephant expresses
it's Joy; and he waited patiently, expect
ing Jim to take his prize off the hooi
and put on some more bait for him
But Jim, the little rascal, sometimes like
to plague Old Soup. He nodded at us
as much as is say, clock out, and you'll
see fun, nowW Then he took off thu
fish, which he threw into a water-jar
placed there for the purpose, and wen
back to his place without putting an,
bait on Old Soups hook. The intelli
gent animal did not attempt to throw hi
! line into the water. He tried to NOV,
Jim by low, pleading cries. TWAS curl
Gus to note what tender tones ne seemed
to try to give his voice.
Seeing that Jim paid no attention t.
his calls, but sat and laughed as h
handled his own line, Old Soup went W
to him, and with his trunk tried to turf
his head in the direction of the bait-box
At last, when he found that all he coul,
do would not induce his willful friend t.
help him, he turned round as if struc]
by a sudden thought, and, snatching u
in his trunk the box that held the bait
came and laid it down at the major
feet; then picking up his rod, he held
out to his master.
"What do you want me to do wit
this, Old Soup?' said the major.
The creature lifted one great foot ate
the other and again began to utter hi
plaintive cry. Out of mischief, I too
Jimmy's part, and, picking up the bal
box, pretended to run with it. The ell
plant was not going to be leased by M
He dipped his trunk into the Gange
and in an instant squirted stream {
water over me with all the force all
precision of ire-engine, to the immens
amusement Of the children.
The major at once made Soup sign
stop, and, to make my peace with til
fine old fellow, l baited his hook mysel
Quivering with joy, as baby does whe
it at lost gets hold Of a play thing SON
one has taken from it, Old Soupraman
hardly paused to thank me by soft moi
of Joy for batting mis- line for him, befol
he went back to his place. aud was agai
Watching his corr as il tremhle,l in tt