The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-06-05

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fishing" said their father.
Why isn't Soupramany your
great war elephant?" I cried.
Exactly so. You can not have
forgotten Soupramany -
"Of course not. 1 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. I saw the mad ele-
plant when he suddenly began to
fling the rice into the river. 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, charg-
ed into this Enclosure. Old Soupra-
many was here. and so were Jim and
Bessy. When he saw the mad ami
NAL he threw himself between him
and the childred. The little ones
and their nurses had just time to get
into the house when the fight COM
menced."
Yes" said the major. "Old Soup
was 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 l, becoming ami
mated by the recollections of that
day, "what q gallant fight 1t was.
Do you remember how we all stood
on this porch and watched it, not
daring to fire a shot lest we should
hit old Soupramany? Do you re-
member, 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 sbsking 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.
We'll, since then he is more devoted
to my dear little ones than ever.
He takes them out whole days, and
1 am perfectly content to leave them
under his charge. don't like trust.
ing Christian children to the care of
natives, but with Old Soup / know
they can come to no harm"
"What! you trust children under
ten years of age to Soup, without
any other protection"
lido" replied the major. Come
along with me. if you doubt, aud we
will surprise them at their fishing"
I followed Maj. DAILY, and after
walking half mile along the wood
ed 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 a won
der, each held rod. with line, cork,
hook and bait. anxiously watching
the gay cork bobbing 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. l need
not say l took small notice of the
children, but turned all my attent ion
to their big companion. | had not
watched him long before he had a
bite. for, as the religion Of the Hin.
docs 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
tie nsh SO abundant in the Ganges.
When Soupramany perceived what
fac fish he had caught, he uttered
one of those long, low, gurgling
notes Of satisfaction by which an ele.
plant 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 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 in
to the water;jar placed there for that
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 int the water. He tried to
move Jim by low, pleading cries.
1t was curious to see what tender
tones he tried to give his voice.
Seeing that Jim paid no attention
to his calls, but sat and laughed as
ne handled his own line. Old Soup
went up 10 him. and with his trunk
tried to turn his heak in the direc-
ton of the bait box. At last, when
he found that all he cou.d do would
not induce his wilful friend to help
him, lie turned around, as if struck