The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1892-06-08
THE KAROO BOKADAMS,
by W. A. CURTIS.

A bronzed young missionary lately
returned from Siam told the folio wing
story: 81,
| was q member of the boat ciew
while at college and when | started
for Siam as n missionary Immediately
after graduating, took with me the
singlc-rowing shell in which | had
done my individual training for the
crew.
Tho missionary station to which
was assigned was in the large town
of Ashenam on the Menam River,
some miles above Bangkok, the cap
ital and chief city of the country.
Tile town was not at all importan, cx-
cept that there was celebrated tenn
pic there in which were kept several
sacred white elephants. 1t was n
stronghold of hca,hendom, and the
little chapel of the missionary station
looking across the river at the huge
pagoda of white elephants was quite
large enough for its humble congre-
CATION.
The river was nearly a half mile
wide and afforded fine opportunity
TOR exercise in my shell. Every after
noon at about four o'clock ! took a
row, and l often lowered near the
bank upon which the whilc elephant
pagoda stood, watching the sacred
creatures rs they took their daily bath
In the river. / never dared venture
very near, for the priests of the pago-
da bore no love toward the mission
aries and could easily do me some
harm; they would justify themselves
to tho town authorities by saying that
they were preventing me from work.
ing spells against the elephants.
As it was sacrilegc for human be-
Ing TO mount the backs of the white
elephants each one was driven to the
river between two common elephants.
A sort of collar went around the ele-
plants neck. To the sides OF this
collar were fastened two chains, and
the other ends of these chains were
fastened to similar collars about the
necks of the attendant elephants
Priests sat upon tho backs of the COM
mon elephants, and by driving them
forward or stopping them could lead
or hold back the white elephant. The
chains were very long, in order to
give tho white elephant plenty of
freedom when taking his bath.
In general they walked between
their attendants docile enough, and
the drivers held the slack of the chains
coiled in their laps.
Among the few European residents
OF the town was young English mer-
chant who, having been member of
the boat crew at Oxford, and owning
shell, felt bound to show Englands
superiority over the United States by
beating me in boat race on the
Menam.
He issued challenge and l ac-
reptcd. The appointed day came.
Tho course was to be two-mile
stretch up river, starting two miles
below the missionary station.
The race was q close one, but my
constant training told, and left my
adversary behind several hundred
yards before reaching the goal. But
for tho honor Of America, l wished to
make the defeat as severe as possible
and l relaxed nothing of my efforts
and shot past the buoy far ahead of
the Englishman. Tho momentum the
boat had gathered carried 1t along in
the placid water and lay upon my
oars scarcely able to move. l was
completely exhausted.
All at once q tremendous believing
caused me to look up in alarm. Un-
awares, ] had foated quite near the
bathing-place of the white elephants.
One old fellow was in the river. bel
lowing with rage, while on the bank
were bis two attendant elphants tug
ging and straining ct the chains In the