Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-05

| apart. The native then calmly selected a
cool shady spot under a wide-spreading
palm and went to Sleep In the meantime
the elephant took up each piece of timber
and carried 1t to It's proper place in the
line After the task had been accomplished
the elephant gently touched the mahout
| with the tip OF his trunk. and awoke him.
as much as to say: Your orders, master.
mounted the elephant, and went forward to
continue the construction of the line in the
same easy manner.
The Burmese mahouts are very kind to
their elephants. They tickle them behind
the ears. stroke and fondle them, select
ing choice morsels of food at every oppor-
tunity. The natives of Hindoostan, on the
contrary, are frequently very harsh and
cruel to the elephants under their charge,
striking them on the top of the skull with
the crooked iron rod called ANGUS.
As ExecutiOners.
Elephants do not travel fast, their gait
being at best but a shambling walk.
twenty-five miles is the outside limit Of
a days journey. 1t is only when hard
pressed that elephants break into a run.
If wounded ne will suddenly turn and rush
at his assailants, select one and try to
catch him. This is termed charging, and
woe be to the unfortunate hunter II the
Infatuated animal succeeds in reaching him
with his flexible trunk. In an instant he
Is hurled to the earth and trod into an
undistinguishable mass. Elephants have
been kept by the kings of Burmah as exc
cutioners. When criminals condemned to
die. and frequently influential mobiles,
whose riches the king desired to seize,
were brought out Of prison. a public spec
tacle would be made to strike dismay to
the hearts of the monarch's secret enc
mics. The elephant would catch hold Of
a victim by the neck with his trunk, lift
him off his feet. give sudden jerk like
Swapping whip lash, then tread him to
A mahout elephant keeper was addicted
to the use of opium. Orders were given
when the elephants came into town for
supplies that this man should remain at the
country station. The dark-faced native had
long talk with his elephant-they seem to
understand Burmese-and told him to go to
town and get him some opium. on he
went, and reaching the supply depot tore
about as If in a fury. The villagers sought
cover. The elephant nosed about. smelt
and snorted where opium was stored. took
a ball and trotted back to his keeper.
At another time an elephant camp got
out of sugar. 1t was near trail which
pony train from China passed. The ma
bouts knew train was near at hand. One
Of them explained to his brute what was
wanted and sent him to intercept the train
He did so and scared the men to the trees
and scattered the load of the ponies. The
elephant found some sugar baskets. ate his
own ill and carried off basket to his
keeper.
The Rogue Elephant.
The rogue elephant is kind of felon or
convict. who has become separated from
his companions. He loses his way or is per-
But he has forfeited his citizenship; he has
lost his rights, and becomes a mere tenant
on sufferance. The herd will permit him to
browse near them, but the intimacy must
not go further. The pariah then becomes
desperate. He wanders about and attacks
everything. He cannot join his own kin,
and so he marauds recklessly. In this way
he becomes more accustomed to meet men.
and revenges upon them the wrongs which
have been SO cruelty visited upon him. 1t
Is said that he gets such an adherence for
his own tribe that he will not even make
common cause with another rogue, which
Is perhaps fortunate for the natives.
"A officer stationed Cev-
Ion relates the following curious account of
an elephant funeral:
Il went after herd of eight elephants
and came up with them about p m. After
stalking l got chance at the one which
seemed about the biggest of the herd, and
dropped 1t at the first shot 1t turned out
to be a big cow elephant About two hours
afterward l had the tail and feet cut off
and taken to the bungalow. Next morning
went to the spot to look at the elephant
and found her, what remained of her,
non est. After looking around l saw the
herd had been around during the night, and
l soon discovered a track where they
ed this through thick bamboo jungle. and
about $40 yards further on came upon the
dead elephant. lying in the bottom of a
rocky stream.
Judging from the appearance of the body
the elephant had been carried to the top of
the bank, and from there rolled into the
stream. From the tracks Ii was plain that
the body had not been rolled but carried
to the bank, and ii was plain that II had
been rolled through the managrass which
grows on the sides of the stream. The Jun
gle through which the body was brought to
the stream was very heavy, with bamboos
growing close and the track which tie
Some surprise was expressed at the circum-
stances by my neighbors till | showed
them where the elephant had been shot
and where the body lay in the stream. |
which proved conclusively that by some
means or other the body had got the inter
vening space in the night HDS.