The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-10-14
Our Young People
MADE UP FROM rHE BEST CLIPPINGS
An Elephaht FISHING in the Ganges.

An GlePQdnL 1Su4uS IL b44S Ga44SSS
In the autumn of 1876 / was liv
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 a good many years, be
ing chief of the quartermaster's
department at that station, and had
great many natives, elephants
bullock carts, and soldiers under
his command. On the morning al
ter my arrival, after cup of early
tea Gotten taken before daylight
in India), 1 sat smoking with my
friend in the veranda of his bunga
low, looking out upon the windirgs
of the sacred river And directly
l asked the major about his chill
dren "a boy and GIRL whom /
had not yet seen, and begged to
known when / should see them.
"Soupramany has taken them out
fishing" said their father,
why, isn't Soupramany your
great war-elephant?" l cried.
Exactly so. Your cannot have
forgotten Soupramany"
"Of course not. l 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 suddenly began
to fling the rice into the river.
His mahout tried to stop him but 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 be-
tween him and the children. The
little ones and their nurse had just
time to get into the house when
the fight commenced.
"And yet" said l, becoming ami
mated by the recollections of that
day, ''what a 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 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, shaking his great ears
which had been badly torn. and
his head bruised, and a great
piece broken from one of his
tusks?"
Eyes, indeed" said the major.
"Weu, since 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 under his charge. !
don't like trusting Christian chill
dren 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 a bamboo rod in his trunk,
with line, hook, bait, and cork,
like the children's. l had not
watched him long before he had a
bite; for, as the religion OF the
Hindoos forbid 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 dang
ling 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 CUR
Cling notes of satisfaction by which
and 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 nod
ded at US, as much as to say,
''Look out, and you'll 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 intelli-
gent animal 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
lender tones he seemed to tr3 to
give his voice.
Seeing that Jim paid no at.en-
ion to his calls, but sat and
aughed as he handled his own line,
Old Soup went up to him, and with
ais trunk tried to turn his head in
The direction of the bait-box. At |
asst, when he found that all he
could do would not Induce his will
'ul friend to help him, he turned
'ound as if struck by a sudden
thought, and, snatching up in his
.runk the box that held the bait
zane and laid it down at the ma
or's feet; then picking up his rod
re held it out to his master.
"What do you want me to do
With this, Old SoupY' Said tie
major.
The creature lifted one great foot
Ifter the other, and again began to
liter his plaiDtive cry. Out of
| took Jimmy's part, and
picking up the bait-box, pretended
o run with it. The elephant was
lot going to be leased by me. He
tipped his trunk into the Ganges
md in an instant squirted a stream
# water over me with the force and
precision Of fire engine, to the
immense amusement of the chill
Iren.
The major at once made Soup
ign to stop, and to make my peace
nth the fine old fellow, / baited
lis hook myself. Quivering with
oy, as a baby does when it gets
old at last of plaything some one
as taken from it, Old Soupramany
ardly paused to thank me BY
oft note of joy for batting his
ook for him, before he went back
, his place, and was again watch