The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-13

separated from her; | lny down by her side.
They dragged me away, ! knew NOT nov or
whittier. | believe they harneased all their
horses to draw me dow on the alope OF the
beach, to a sort Of pit where taey 1915 ine
alone.
II cannot recall how long remained
there, without food, devoured by thirst aud
by insects 2 tesdy for my blood. l was q.
ready strong. / could havo demolished
this excavation with my ~fofsfest and have
taught ma to do on the steep slopes. But =
long time PASSED before i thought OF
doing so. Without knowing what death
was, / yet hated my life and did not seek to
preserve it. Finally, yielding to instinct, J
uttered feroeious cries. The Immediately
anxious faces leaning over tho edges of the
silo in which | was confined. They seemed
reioiced to see me eat and drink; but as
soon as / had recovered my strength l filled
heaven and earth with the trumpet
sounds of my voice. Then they went
away, leaving me to overthrow tne veTtlcAI
wall of my prison. At first I thought was
at liberty; bnt | soon learned that was IN
an enclosure fenced with canes
of bamboo, bound to one another by cords
go strong and closely drawn that Was una
BILE to loosen them. spent several days IN
vain attempts to perform this Impossible
task, resisted by the reridious and skllled
labor of man. They brought me- food and
spoke kindly to me. l would not near
them. / tried to fall on my enemies. I
beat nay head with 4 fearful noise against
ths walls Of my prison without being able
to shake them; but when was alone
ate. The imperious Law OF l1ts trlunphea
over my despair and overcome BY fatigue,
I slept on the fresh grass with which they
had ssrewn my cage.
al length, one day. q small black man
dressed simply in a white sarong, entered
my prison alone and ~resolutsly, carrying 9
trough of rice, sailed and mingled with an
oily substance. He offered It On ms Knees,
saying with q gentle voice words IN Whlcn
/ could distinguish q most affeotionate and
caressing meaning. allowed myself to be
entreatcd BY his prayers, to the point OF
being willing to eat in his presence. While
/ enjoyed the delicate food he famed me
with a palm leaf and sang mo something
sad, to which I listened in surprise. lie
returned q little later and played me a
plaintivs air on a flute OF reeds, which
taught me the pity he felt for me. l al
lowed him to kiss my forehead and my
ears. At length | permitted him to battle
me, to remove the thorns which hurt me
and to sit down between my legs. Finally,
at the end of q time which ] cannot pre-
cise!y limit, l was assured that he loved
me, and that |. too, loved him. From that
time I was overcome, the past faded from
my min and I consented to follow him
along the shore without attempting to, es-
cape.
"Ithink I lived two years alone with him.
He took such tender care of me that he
filled my mothers place, and I could not
live without him. But | did not belong to
him. The tribe Of Malays which had taken
possession of me, was to divide among
themselves the price which would be offered
for me by the richest rajahs Of India as
soon az they should be informed Of my ex-
taror H. f1hA, hni r,n1n nrrHt NJ Arta for.
disposing OF noe to the best possible ad-
vantage. The tribe had sent deputies to
all the courts of the two penlnsulas to sell
me to the highest bidder, and, awaiting
their return. | was entrusted to this young
man, named Aor, who was reputed most
skilful in the urt of tanning and caring for
creatures of my kind. He was not a hun
ter, he had not assisted in the murder of
my mother. l could love him without re-
morse.
II soon learned to understand human
speech, hearing it constantly from hin.
The infections of his tones revealed his
thought to me. Later I understood this
MUSIC of human speech in whatever Ian
guage it came to my ears. Music, sung by
the voice or produced by instruments, l
understood still better.
II soon understood from my friend that
| must conceal myself from men, for the
reason that any one who saw me would be
tciuptGu 10 Kill llL1 Ill OEuGF 10 ISdu inc
away and sell me. We were then inhnbit-
ing the most deserted part of the province
Of Tenasserim. We hid all day among ths
rocks, and only went out at night. Aor
then MOUNTED my back and led me to
battle, without fear of the alligators and
crocouiles, whose heads ! buried in the
sand and crushed them under my feet.
After the bath VIC wandered through the
forests, where | chose succulent branches
for myself and gathered ruits for Aor with
my trunk.
My life was smooth and completely alb
sorbod in the present. | did not awake to
conscious thought about myself until, one
pnrk q herd of wild elephants which thev
had driven with fire brands and a loud
noise OF drums and cymbals to seek 4
refuge in this snare. They had previously
left their tame elephants to assist tho
hunters IN conquering the captlves, and
who did assist them with extraordinary in
telligence to bind the legs Of one animal
after another. But a few savage males,
solitares, were so furious that they Judged
best to assoclnte me to the hunters in over
coming them. They obliged Aor to mount
me. and he endeayored to obey, although
with repugnance. Then the sense of JUS
tice awoke in me, and | had a horror for
elephants, if not my equals, were at
least of my own kind. The sub-
missive elephants who were helping to CON
summate the slavery Of their brethren
seemed to me immeasurably inferior to
them and to me. Full of scorn and indip-
nation l attacked them, and came to the
defense of the prisoners SO theoretically
that they were obliged to renouuca their
attempt to degrade me. They turned MT
out of ths park and Aor loaded me- will
praise and caresses.
''hevet,' SAID he to his companions, has
a white elephant been employed in menia
labor or for deedD of violence. He wal
formed neither for the hunt, nor for war
nor to carry burdens, nor to mount in Ion1
! journeys. Kings would not permit them
salves to sit on his neck, and you think Il
abaso him to help you in enalaying others
NO, you do not understand his sreatpog.
and you outrage his rank. The thing vo1
nave attempted will bring on you the poweI
of evil SPIRITS
AND when in remonHtrance they urged
on my friend that he had cxerted hinssl
to tame me, he replied:
~ nsed no means but gentle words an,
the sounds OF my flute. If he perml.g IN.
to mount him it is because he recognizes
IN ms his faithful servant. his deyout ma
hout. On tho day that parts us one of II
Wilde: 1t becomes you to wish that it ma,
be me; for upon the safety of the Saorsl
Flower dspends tho wealth and glory o
your tribe"
TO BE CONTINUED.
EUckion's Arnica saive,
ihe best salyo IN tina werld for cot,