The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1886-03-12
THE REAL KING.
Ehe Elephant Justly Entitled to This
Proud Distinction.

PrOuu DlStlnctlous
The lion is called the king of beasts;
out after all, he is rather sneaking
sort of fellow, and not what we have a
right to expect a monarch to be. lie
is very strong, and when he must fight,
ioes SO fiercely; but as he is not any |
more powerful than the tiger, and is
not even as good fighter, he ought to
take rank next to that first cousin OF
his.
But even the tiger is not entitled to
the first place, for he is not by any
means the master of the brute creation.
If any animal can be said to hold that
place, it is certainly the elephant.
Only, the elephant, not being flesh
eater, very seldom has trouble with his
comrades of the forests, and conse-
uently has no reputation as a tighter.
And yet he can fight, even in captivity,
as was seen only few weeks ago,
when in the winter quarters of mem
agerie at tPhiladelphia-a according to the
newspapers-an enraged lion, escaping
from his broken cage, dashed madly
| uPOh SlCdb OlCplldhus OhiJ W w
crushed to death by the powerful beast
which he had dared to attack.
ALI animals, indeed, respect the ele-
phant and give him wide birth. Once
IN while, a rhinoceros will lose his
wits and go tearing through the jungle,
regardless of consequences, and he
might then attack even an elephant,
As rule, the result is very disastrous
to the rhinoceros, which is quite likely
TO discover that his horn is no match for
uhe two shining white tusks of the ele-
phant.
When used by man for hunting the
tiger, the elephant will frequently dis
play the most abject fear, should the
iger suddenly spring up in his path
md this fact has led to the belief that
he elephant has natural fear of the
.iger. The truth is, the tanned elephant
las been taught to so bend his will tt
ais human masters that he has lost hi
lbility to act upon his own impulse
md, moreover, is so hampered by hi
crowded howdah, and his other trap
oings, that he has not full liberty 0
.ction.
Stories without number are told b,
hunters of combats witnessed in th
ungle between elephants and othe
nimals, and all go to show the pro
igious strength and activity of th
luge creatures. Strength, OF course
he elephant would be expected to have
,ut it is hard to comprehend how S
ngainly-looking creature can be s
lctive and agile as he really is. Ths
he can outrun a fleet horse seems il
,redible enough, but it is even NOR
wonderful that he can vie in quicknes
If movement with the muscular tige
. One of a party of hunters in lndi
cit camp one evening, intending
loot one Of the peacocks which wei
card screaming in their discordal
gay not very far from camp. He kne
y rom experience that he might find
ger in the neighborhood, though l
. that time no traces of that amin
+ i;,d been seen. But the tiger is so fo4
! j peacock that experienced hunte
l. always go cautiously to shoot the bird
IL In this case the caution was wise,
!, when near the spot where the bir
! ware the hunter just saved himself fro
= Stumbling on large tiger, which fol
lnately was SO much taken up wi
stealing upon the birds that it d
e. not notice the man. The latt
d anticipating some interesting spo
4 watched the tiger move stealth!
1t. through the underbrush and col
Ct lpon the noisy birds. Whoey
aas seen an ordinary cat crouch a
az spring can comprehend what the hu
q ter saw. The spring was unsuccessf
however; and, as is its custom,
tiger, as if ashamed of its failure, "
sinking away, when there came
noise of crashing underbrush, and
, n graceful creature crouched closely
the ground.
NJ. The noise, as the hunter had at OIL
:, suspected, was caused by the appros
of herd of elephants. Again he W;
IL ed silently for further developmer
The huge creatures made their v
we straight toward the clearing where
peacocks had been feeding ON the gr
,el- which grew there. At the head of
led herd gamboled baby elephant.
conscious of the presence of the tis
il the little creature was almost upon
s." when the great cat as if unable to
W slst the temptation, darted toward
ha- Like magic the whole herd respon
TO tle sHrlll cry VI liie ihouuei, duu
leader of the herd charged to the
the cue.
of The tiger seemed willing to retr
on but that the leader would not peri
md and then began a fierce combat
it which the tiger with all its agi
it ,trove to take the elephant anywl
you but in front To avoid this, the
OF phant moved about with astonisf
be celebrity, and finally with aquick plu
on caught the tiger under its ponder
my foot, and with one terrible TIL
pierced it with its tusks. Is not
ard Elephant the real king9-John E,
cell, IN 81, NtchQlas.