Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-05-10
Old Soup.
st. Nicholas for May.

ST. Nicholas for May.
The following curious anecdote is
from book about elephants, written
by French gentleman, named Jacolllot,
and 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 quartermasters S de-
partment at that station, and had a
great many natives, elephants, bullock
carts and soldiers under his command.
On the morning after my arrival, af-
ter cup of early tea (often taken be-
fore daylight in India), ! sat smoking
with my friend in the veranda of his
bungalow, looking out upon the wind
ings of the sacred river. And, directly,
| asked the major about his children "a
boy and 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-elephant?" cried.
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 yon
der. | saw the mad elephant when he
y 10 mt ha
cr His 'mahout' tried to stop him, and
he killed the 'mahout. The native sail.
ors ran away to hide themselves, and
the mad elephant, trumpeting, charged
into the inclosure 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 hundred years old. He had been
trained to war, and to fight the rhinoc-
erous, but he was too old to hunt then.
"And yet" said l, becoming animat
ed by the recollections of that day,
what gallant fight it was Do you
remember how we all stood on this
porch and watched it, not daring to fire
shot lest we should hit Old Soupra-
many? Do you remember too, his look
when he drew off, after fighting an hour
and half, 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 great piece broken from
one of his tusks?'
eyes, indeed, said the major. We'll,
since then, he is more devoted to my
dear little ones than ever. He takes
them out whole days, and | am perfect
ly content to have them under his
charge. | 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 Ganges, stood Old Soup with bam-
boo rod in his trunk, with line, hook,
baitssand 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
eyes 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
fine fish he had caught, he uttered one
of those long, low, gurgling notes of sat
isfaction bylwhich 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
Jim, the little rascal, sometimes liked
to plague Old Soup. He nodded at us,
as much as to say, Look out, and you II
see fun now" Then he took off the fish,
which he threw into water-jar placed
there for the purpose. and went back to
his place without putting any bait on
Old Soups hook. The intelligent ami
NAL did not attempt to throw his line
into 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 willful friend
to help him, he turned round as ifstruck
by sudden thought, and, snatching 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 Soup?" said the major.
The creature lifted one great foot at
ter the other, and again began to utter
his plaintive cry. Out of mischief, l
took Jimmy's part, and, picking up the
bait-box, pretended to run withit. The
elephant was not going to be teased by
me. He dipped his trunk into the
Ganges, and in an instant squirted a
stream of water over me with all the
force and precision of ire-engine, to
the immense amusement OF the chill
dren.
The 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
when it gets hold at last of a plaything
some one has taken from it, Old Soup
ramany hardly paused to thank me by
soft note of JOY for batting his line
for him, before he went back to his
place, and was again watching his cork
as it trembled in the ripples Of the river.
To use up cold meats, prepare your