San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-04-29
The Elephant Tanner.

will the Sahib shoot it as il stands in the
stable, or shall we take it outside the khed-
dab to be shot?'
"PlI shoot it in the stable, jemadar 1t
would be dangerous to attempt TO move it
MahaGia and Smdara could easily drag the
body outside aftCrward. See that the two
are ready hameSSed tomorrow morning"
AT what time will the Sahib shoot it?''
About eight O'clock And see that half
a-dOZen men are ready with axes and knives
TO take out its tlIskS and to cut off its feet
Very well, Sahib II has been very furi-
Gus to-day. 1t nearly killed SOOjah, the
mahOut elephant-driyer, as he was throwing
a bundle of fodder to it, 1t Clipped a great
piece out Of one of the posts with its left tusk
as it thrust at him.
is the tIISk damaged|'
Not seriously, Sahib / believe. | have
not seen il myself; but SOOiah reports that
small piece is broken off the tip"
II would like TO see it; the tusk may be
cracked"
So saying, Captain Eaton put on his sun
helmet, and accompanied by the old jenna
dar, stepped out of his Ollie into the ele-
phamt-yard.
Captain Eaton was in charge of the gov
eminent elephant kheddah or depot at Je-
hanabad. 1t was responsible and impOr-
tant post, for there We're more than one hun
dred 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 i'm several huge and lofty
sheds, supported by pOnderOuS wooden posts,
were the kheddah elephants, taking their
lo, ~ oil nd
sexes, from the stately highcaste tusker 10
the little newly-bOrn calf with its hairy head
and short undevelOped trunk. They were all
busily engaged in munching their fodder,
consisting of great bundles of grass and green
leaves and pieces of sugar cane. All were in
incesSant motion, Swaying their bodies back
ward and forward, shifting their legs UNI
easily, swinging their heads and trunks, and
tapping their ears. Near by sat the mahOuts
and other attendants smoking, and watching
their elephants feeding. As the Sahib en-
tered the yard, they all rose quickly and
salaamed to him profoundly.
Having walked through the sheds and
glanced at the elephants, and given few
orders to the mahOutS, Captain Eaton pro-
ceeded across the yard to a small shed in one
corner, where, tethered by itself, stood huge
tusker Ii was evident there was some
thing wrong with the animal, for its legs
were secured by huge chains, fastened to
posts buried deep in the ground. A heavy
chain was wound round its neck, behind its
ears, but the ends had become unfastened
and were hanging loose.
"Shaitan," or the Demon, for that was the
elephants wcll-deSeryed name, was pecu-
liarly dangerous brute. During the past
three or four years he had killed several
men, and had of late become so vicious that
for several weeks he had not been taken out
OF the stable He was kept heavily chained
and was constantly watched. His food was
thrown to him from distance, no one dar-
ing to go within reach Of his long trISks or
trunk. The tOm-up floor, the Splintered
woodwork of the stable, and the great raw
wounds on its legs caused by the chains in
It's struggles showed to what fits of fury it
was liable. 1t was now under sentence of
death, for Eaton, having reported that it was
unserviceable and also unfit for sale on ac-
count 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 lOwcaSte animal.
1t had pair of long, white, scimitar-like
tlSks, the points of which nearly touched
the ground. ltwas notified, especially about
the forehead, ears, and fOre-legs, with pale
hesh-colored patches, giving it most I'M
pleasant appearance.
As Captain Eaton, followed by the jemadar
and some other men, approached, the ele-
plant, which had been restleSsly swaying IT.
self backward and forward, stopped for an
instant cooked its ears viciOusly, and looked
at its foes maleyolently with its little pig
like eyes. Then it resumed its restless move
ments, as If unconscious of their presence,
nevertheless keeping sharp lookout for an
opportunity of striking at anyone coming
within reach. When the captain had ap-
preached as close to il as he thought safe in
order TO examine the injured tusk, the ele-
plant struck furiOusly at him with its trunk;
and as he stepped back to avoid the blow, he
heard deep voice behind him say: "Salaam!
Sahib."
Turning sharply, Captain Eaton found
standing behind him tall, gaunt Afghan,
clad in dirty and tattered clothes, and carry
ing in his sinewy right hand 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 somewhat uncommon one. He was
very dark for an Afghan, and had huge
hooked nose like the beak of vulture The
expression of his mouth, partially concealed
by flowing black moustache and beard, was
hard and stern. Under his bushy eyebrows
CLEANED pair of dark, sunken eyes, painted
round with henna, keen, fierce, and unfinch-
ing like those Of wild beast As Eaton