Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-02-05

pose. Elephants are tough, end
AOnld be hard to hurt thrm much. ,
Aud with ChIs easy philosophy
Mr.. Franklin contented himself.
He would not 60 within reach oil
Ahmed, for be was reilly afraid of
hlm, and he kept cautioniDg me.
You can't trust Elephants he
SAID, Several that l know OF have
gone mad, one would think, and
have killed people, after having
been so tame that they have been
the chlldren's playthings. You
had better leave Ahmed to Sellm
and take care of yourself.
And 1 honestly tried to take his
advice, and for Il number of days J
did nothing more than feed him a
little whru his keepers back was
turned. Aud it was this little
kindness that brought about a
strange condition of thiugs, which
all At ouce gave me new Occ pa
ton not down oD the programme
when l vert to the Island.
The sur, eSs l had been making
necessitated the building OF "A
bridge, aud 1 ran the lines and took
the level, after which l asked II
there we're any bridge builders III
the country.
'Ahmed builds the bridges SAID
Mr. Franklin with a smile. That Is
one part of his work you have
never seen, nave ,>oui Srlln un-
drrstands the work thoroughly,
and /, Is rea IL wonderful ID s~e
the elephant carIV out his Keeper s
orders. TIL men will cut the Jlm
hers tomorro ow, aud thu you VIII
oversee the work and see that IN"
prop level lS kept
1t dccJIdAnCe with THESE III
s,rnclions, watched The Gu lug
of he timUers-iOgs eighteen te~t
Ion. aud 5elve Iuches thlck -au
tue next day SeIIW an ] We're
there with Ahmed al, To Orgin
work.
Sslim was IN an ugly humor TO
begin with, aud he had been
threatening the elephant from the
time We left the house, 80 iha the
great creature was becoming ner
yous aud restless before tue wotE
had begun. More than Ouce, too,
Selim had used his stcel-shOd
weapon, which carried hook as
we'll as a sharp prod, and the anl
NAL had grOaned like human De
lug under the punishment. | could
not hold my peace.
1T does seeem TO me, Sellm,' l
said, sthat Ahmed would DO his
wo,k brtter if YOU would not be so
severe with him.
One has tO be severe with THESE
beasts he returned, and without
deiguiug any further reply he set
the huge creature at work littlng
the heavy limbers and carrying
them to their place at the stream
The terrible strength OF the ele'
phaut frightened me as | watched
him coillng his trunk about the
logs, lifting them aud holding
them steady with mouth aud
trdnk while he walked away to the
spot where the logs were needed
Once there, he waited for instruc
tlons before be lowered the weight,
and as soon as the position was
ldicated be carefully aud SLOWLY
dropped the timber into the exac'
place demanded. 1t IL swung
around a little or was out of place
he rolled it with trunk and head
until 1t lay where he wanted II
aud was perfectly 6rm. 1t seemed
incredible that this was not the
work of reason, and that 1t ws'
merely the result OF thorough
F training, but even If this were all
what intelligence it showed.
Astime went on tue keepers
irritability Increased, aud his voice
rose and became angrler. ii
swore al the auim Al aud used his
hook until Ahmed's ear was bleed
ias; aud The huge animal aO1''utn'
l. = ood aud rem pIed. ike
= frightened child Fh's m'''
Sellm furious, aud he began L
= assault him in the most cruel man
| ner with the ste / prod.
The sight was more than l coal'
4 endure. 1 sprnng down the BAN
t and snatched the weapon from hl
Z hands.
r what do you meaof | cried
r holly. You shall not treat tn
creature so cruelly.'
| had taken him utterly Oy SUI
B. prise, and he ouly started at IN
= stupldly for moment; but all