Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-24
STEALING AN ELEPHANT
BY WIN. L. HORNADAY,
AUTHOR OF Two YEARS IN THE JUNGLE.
copyright. 1855.

/
set. Although never saw 1t tried believe that
one passionate, beef-eating Anglo-Saxon, with q
| hickory club, could chase thousand OF them, and
| two expert clubbers could put ten thousand to
flight. II is not muscle that they are "short- on
| so much as pluck. II they only had the nerve to
carry out one-quarler of the deviltry that they
think OF. England would straightway have an
| oriental Ireland upon her hands
| A low-caste native is never expected to launch
| out into any forbidden enterprise which requires
| nerve, and when one does develop spirit OF rank
lawlessness It is apt to take the sahibs by sur
prise. knew OF one instance OF this kind which,
for, unmitigated gall, went clear beyond all the
other native undertakings that ever came under
my notice. What Is more. the scheme was worked
by mere boy. and he made it up all out of his
| own head like Walt Whitman does his poetry. 1t
makes me sigh even now to think what prince
Of street Arabs that boy would have made II he
had only been born in this Christian lana and
educated in the classic shades of Swampoodle
Ten years ago was living In The elephant camp
great Anifnallai forest, Southern India. AT that
| time that elephant camp was to me the greatest
show on earth. There were ten twelve OF the big
bruteS, each with haf-naked driver to sit astr1de
his neck, and all day long the monsters toiled in
the forest, dragging great, heavy, hewed logs OF
ing them in regular courses Tie Sun9nn ele-
! plant camp was merely little open spot in the
heart OF grand old forest OF teak, blackwood and
|
| In those mountains.
Every morning the elephants assembled for
watch the gigantic labOrers when they were served
with big balls OF boiled rice, six piece, the size OF
ten-pn ball. with bit OF cocOanut by wayof dessert
But this was only part OF their rations. Green
forage was plentiful in the jungle, so instead OF
laboriously cutting and bringing It In, each ma
bout simply hObDled his elephant at the close OF
| the days work and turned him loose to .'rustle"
Tor himself until morning. OFTEN during the
nights when the fever kept me awake have lain
m oDh Hsfo m q hn olnx
down the bamboo shoots with a great crash,
crushing the stems under their huge feet and then
champing away at the pieces. And It wa. this
made trouble in the camp.
Among the mahouts was a mere STRIPPING about
sixteen years OLD, brown as old mahogany, and
also as beardleSs, head cleaned shaved, except a
fine scalplOck, no clothes but cloth around his
| lOins ana no Deeps whatever. HIS name was
COree, and the old elephant doctor soid he was
likely boy. He was the driver or a-fine young
elephant, named silva, who was a famous worker,
and highly valued on more accounts than one.
Well, one fine morning COrlee came In from the
jungle without his elephant long after all the other
manouts had found their animals, brought them
then the range officer, and before him Corlee
straightway appeared, painting and trouble
stricken, to relate his misfortune.
"Sahib! said COriee, In the Tamil language, with
woeiui voice and look, II am ruined. My elephant
has run away"
"What's that? Your elephant run away? What
do you mean, bOy?" said my astOnished friend.
'sahi6 have mercy on me, for am ruined. silva
his wild brothers. followed his trail far into the
forest, until he Joined herd, and then / came
back 10 lei you. KIN me If You wish. my father"
"Here's pretty scrape on hand And the con-
servatOr OF forests coming up here next week, in
speeding, Now there's 5000 rupees gone-unless
| the brute can be found. Here, Mullein."
''Sahib."
'Mullein. you go and send some of the Mulcers
here, quick, and the elephant doctor. That ele-
plants got 10 be found or It'll be the worse for all
hands. Did ever man have such cOnfOunded
luek!'
To tell the truth, my friend was thoroughly up-
set by the loss or the elephant and unless 1t could
be recovered within week, how could he face the
'Oh, don't worry about it." said to encourage
MIN "Ihe brute Will be found; or he may even
come back ;, OF his own accord"
emaiy. 1.-THE feed is TOO good all about here. BY
Jove, he must be found, that's all there Is OF 1t !"
advanced to meet the men the peon had hastily
summoned.
The elephant doctor was a grizzly old fellow,
a nose, and ga heye like 'awk" as an Englishman
once said to me In describing his pet priZe.1ghter
The old man listened to Corlees story without a
word OF comment, and when 1t was finished he
gave the boy most curious, scrutinizlng look as
II he were trying TO look into his secret thoughts;
word As for CorIee. he TOOK the matter more sorH
rOwfully than II he had lost his own mother and
his distress quite , enlisted I'm my sympathy.
boys to go and md that elephant Mullen will
give you hye days rice, and when you come back
with silva VIII give each Of you fve rupees pres
ent."
That was small sum to offer for such "a valua-
Bile elephant 1t seemed to me, and ventured to
/ "Oh, that's enough" said Theobald, 'ff they can
find HIM az all they'll find him for that ana to get
'Ir he has really joined wild herd will the
Mulcers be able TO get him?" asked.
mo, sir; II he has Joined herd It's goodbye to
nd Qva
II he should be caught by private parties accord
ing to law he will belong to whoever catches him.
The Mulcers set on forthwith, and SO did Coree
who vowed that he would return with the ele.
plant, or we would never see his face again.
Word was sent In various directions to the hill
with instructions TO keep sharp lookout for the
runaway, and, having done everything possible to
recover him, Mr. TheObald settled down In a
gloomy frame OF mind TO await results lie was
very seriously disturbed by this unfortunate con-
tre'eraps, for 80 far his record as vigiiant and
emcient ofilcer was perfect, and he was expecting
We presently learned that on setting out Corlee
and the Mulcers had had a dispute about the
proper course to pursue and falling to agree they
separated, and the boy went forth on foot and
alone .on his own hook which led me to admire
his pluck In standing by his own Judgment.
The next four days passed very slowly aud with
out Developments The suspense was very TRYING
to Mr.. Theobald's patience, and the burden OF in
activity made him wish over and over that he had
gone with the Mucers To direct the search
On the fifth day, when the MulcerS returned
of ever finding him, our spirits sank far below zero
They said they had followed the trail or silva until
IL joined the tracks left by herd, and although
they were unable 10 find that he had turned off
the trail anywhere they had followed 1t until the
wild herd was finally overtaken, and silva was not
init
"Are you sure Of that?o demanded Theobald.
sternly.
Eyes, sahib we know; for we saw every elephant
In the herd" so said they, all OF them.
swell, that beats my time! The confounded
beast must have left that trail somewhere and the
men didn't notice IL. But it's deuced strange That
they should miss IL, for they are as good crackers
as ever lived. Well, I'm in for 1t, 1t Seems:n and
like Cardinal Wolsey, when he had that celebrated
ial, my Trend said long farewell to all his
always Just before the dawn. AS the shades OF
night were settling down upon the camp we sud.
denly heard great shouting and cOmmOtiOn I'm
the camp OF the MucerS and mahOuts two hun
dred yards below the bungalow. 1t was clearly a
joyous uprOar, and as we listened we Distinctly
caught the words, ''Siva! Stva!'
"By heavens, believe It's that elephantw cried
TheObad exciledy. We Sprang out OF our chairs
and rushed bareheaded down the slope toward the
little creek and the huts beyond it, Just ms we
reached the waters edge we saw the colossal form
OF an elephant advancing rapidly to meet us n
was silva, sure enough. Coriee sat proudly astrtde
his neck, and the people ran after him In perfect
mob.
The moment the elephant had crossed the
stream and reached the spot where we stood
with one hand grasping the animals huge ear and
coming close up 10 Mr.. Theobaid made a most pro-
found Saiaan.
IAN right, boy" said the officer briskly, in &C.
acknowledgement.
Then Ccrlee stood up, his face beamipp with
proud smiles and his teeth showing from one
horizon OF his face to the other He looked "a n
ne wanted 70 embrace somebody.