The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-05-19
just time to get into the house
when the FIGHT commenced

|
with the rhinoceros, but he was
too old to hunt then
And yet,' said I, becoming ami
mated by the recollections of that
day, what q gallant fight that
was Do you remember how We
all stood on this porch and watch
ed 1t, not daring to fire shot lest
we should hit Old Soupramany.
DO you remember, too, his look
when he drew of, after fighting
an hour and half, leaving bis ad-
versary dying in the dust, and
walked straight to the corral,
shaking his great ears which had
been badly torn, with bis head
bruised, and a great piece broken
from one Of his tusks {?
Yes, indeed said the major.
well, since then, he is more de-
| voted to MY dear little ones than
ever. He takes them out whole
days, and I am perfectly content
TO have them under his charge.
[ don't like trusting children to
tie care Of natives ; but With Old
Soup know they can come to no
HARM
Besides the children, on the
banks Of the Ganges, stood Old
Soup with q bamboo rod in his
trunk, with line; hook, bait, and
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 felloY did not stir; his
little eyes watched his line eager
ly; he was no novice in the gentle
craft. He was waiting till it was
time to draw in his prize.
-4t the end OF the line, as he
drew it up, was dangling one of
those golden tench so abundant in
the Ganges.
When soupramany perceived
whaf a ane fish he had caught, he
uttered one Of those long, low gurg-
ling notes Of satisfaction by which
an elephant expresses joy; and he
waited patiently, expecting jim to
take the pri5e of the hook an put
on some more bait for him. But
Jim, the little rascal, sometimes
liked to plague. Old Soup. He
nodded to US, as much as to say
Look out; end yoq'!!I see lun,
now? Then be took off the fish,
which be threw into q water-iar
placed there for the purpose, and
went back to his place without
putting any bait on Old Soups
hook. Fhe Intelligent 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 tender tones
he seemed to try to give his voice.
Seeing that Jim paid no atten.
ton to lis calls, but sat and laugh
ed as he handled his own line,
Old Soup went up to him, and
with his trunk tried to turn bis
head in the direction Of the bait.
box. At last; when he found that
all be could do would not induce
his willful friend to help him, he
turned round as if struck by sud-
den thought, and, snatching up
in bis trunk the bog 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, Gid soup?' said the
major.
The creature lifted one great
foot after the other, and again be-
gan to utter his plaintive cry.
Out of mischief, 1 took Jimmy's
part. and picking up the bait-box,
pretended to run with it. The
elephant was not going to be
teased by. me. He dipped his
trunk into the Ganges, and in an
instant squirted 2 stream Of water
over me with all the force and
precision Of a Are-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 fellow, I bsited
bis hook myself. 9uivering with
joy, as q baby does when it gets
hold at last of playthiug some
one has taken from it, Old Soup
ramany hardly paused to thank
me by a soft note ofjoy for bait
ing his line for him, before he