Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-13
Tie 81 pnANT-TAMER.


IN the s,sai, ~ shall We takeit outside
the kheddsL 50 be shot f"
"l'll thoot Il 10 the stable. jemadar'
II would Ne dangerous TO attempt 20
move II. Niaharaa and Sundara could
easily drag the body outside a'tcrward;
See that III, two are ready harnessed
10 morrow morning"
I" At whs, time will the Sahib shoot
is"
/. About : o'clock. And see that
halt dozen men are ready with axes
and knives TO take out its tusks and TO
cut Oft It's feet"
"yery well. Sahib. Il has been
very furious to-day. II nearly killed
Sooiah, the mahout elephant-driyer, as
he was throwing bundle OF fodder 70
it. II clipped great piece out OF one
of the posts with its left tusk rs 1t
thrust at him.
"Is the tusk damagode"
"Not seriously, Sahib, | believe. /
have not seen il myself, but Soojah re-
ports that small piece is broken oil
the tip"
al would like to see it; the tusk
may be cracked"
So saying, Captain Eaton put on his
sun-helmct, and accompanied by the ola
jemadar, stepped out Of his Office into
the elephantyard.
Captain Eaton was in charge OF the
Government, elephant kheddah, or depot,
at Jehanabad. Itwas responsible and
important post, for there were more
than 100 elephants in the kheddah' and
several hundred men were employed as
mahouts and fodder coolies and IN other
capacities to look after them. :,
Standing in rows in several huge ana
lofty sheds, supported by ponderous
wooden posts, were the kheddah eie-
phants. taking their MONDAY rest.
They were Of all sizes and sexes, from
the stately bigh-cast tusker to the little
newly-born calf, with its hairy head
and short undeveloped trunk. Ihey
were all busily engaged in mnnca1ng
their fodder. consisting Of great bun
dies Of grass and green leaves anu
pieces Of sugar cane. All were IN IN
cessant motion, swaying their bodies
backward and forward, shifting their
legs uneasily, swinging their heads and
trunks, and Tapping their ears. Near
by sat the mahouts and other attend
ants smoking, and watching their ele-
phants feeding. As the Sahib entered
the yard they all rose quickly and sa-
laamed to him profoundly.
Having walked through the sheds
and glanced at the elephants, and given
A few orders TO the mahouts, Captain
Eaton proceeded across the yard to
small shed in one corner, where. tether-
ed by itself, stood huge tusker. 1t
was evident there was something wrong
with the animal, for its legs were Sc
cured by huge chains, fastened to posts
buried deep in the ground. A heavy
chain was wound round its neck, be-
hind its ears. but the ends had become
unfastened and were hanging loose.
"Shaitan," or the Demon flor that
was the elephants well-deserved name),
was a peculiarly dangerous brute.
During the past three or four years nc
had killed several men. and had of late
become so vicious that for several weeks
he had not been taken out Of the stable.
lie was kept heavily chained. and was
constantly watched. His food was
thrown to him from distance, 10 one
daring to go within reach of his long
tusks or trunk. The torn-up floor. the
splintered woodwork Of the stable, and
the great raw wounds on its legs caused
by the chains in its struggles showed
to what fits Of fury it was liable. 1t
was now under sentence of death, for
Eaton, having reported that it was UNI
serviseable, and also unfit for sale on
account Of its savage disposition, had
received orders to shoot it.
The elephant was of great size, but
its long legs. roach back, small head,
and other bad points showed it to be a
low.caste animal. 1t had pair Of
lorg. white. scimitar-lke tusks, the
points Of which nearly touched the
ground. 1t was mottled, especially
about the forehead, ears, and forelegs,
with pale, hesh-colored patches, giving
it a most unpleasant appearance.
As Captain Eaton, followed by the
jemadar and some other men, approach
cd, the elephant. which had been rest
lessly swaying itself backward and for
ward, stopped for an instant, cooked its
ears viciously, and looked at its foes
Inadvertently with its little pig-like
eyes. Then il resumed its restless move
ments. as if unconscious of their pre-
sence, nevertheless keeping a sharp
lookout for all opportunity of striking
at any one coming within reach. When
the Captain had approach as close to it
as be thought safe in order to examine
the injured tusk, the elephant struck
furiously ut him with its trunk and as
he stepped back to avoid the blow he
heard deep voice behind him say;
"Salsam Sahib."
Turning sharply, Captain Eaton found
standing behind him tall, gaunt AZ
CHAN, clad in dirty and tattered clothes
and carrying in his sinewy right hand a
heavy iron ankrus, or elephant driving
hook. He was evidently an extremely
powerful man, and his face was in
keeping with his stature, for it was a
somewhat uncommon one. lie was very
dark for an Afghan, and had a huge
hooked nose, like the beak Of vulture
The expression of his mouth, partially
concealed by flowing black moustach,
and beard, was hard and stern. Under
his bushy eyebrows cleaned a pair o
dark, sunken eyes, painted round will
hepna, keen, fierce, and unflinching
like those Of wild beast. AS EatoI
glanced at him he thought he had nevc,
seen so forbidding face.
"Who are you?" he asked.
81 am named Bux Khan; am
KandahaIi," replied the man in yoic
Of singular depth and power.
What are youy"
~ am On elephant-tamer."
"An slephsnt-tamer !" echoed tn
Captain with laugh. "Would yo
like to try your hand on this spec
mem"
II the Sahib will permit" was tn
ouiet repiv