The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-07
WHEN THE TRUMPET SOUNDED.
By NJ oUAD.J

(By M QCAD.J
/ They were building the great high
| way and railroad bridge over the
| Gunga River, near Nagpoor, in India,
! and in this month Of August the scene
/ was as busy a one as could be con-
/ ceived- The approaches were being
/ filed in BY a thousand natives: the
/ homework was being push along by
| three hundred more, directed by Eng
/ lish engineers and fOremen; two hun
/ bred men were unloading the cars of
/ the working trains5 three hundred
/ elephants. each in charge of a ma
/ hout. were carrying or dragging beams
/ of wood and girders of iron
At first glance it se6med a scene of
/ the greatest confusion. but after one
had watched for few minutes he
realized that every man and beast on
the works had his place and was I'LL
ing IT. Each one had his task as
less To each fifty men there was a
foreman; to each ten elephants there
was one man whom the mahouts must
obey without question When the
steam whistles blew for dinner on this
particular day one of the mahouts
approached his boss. and after a re-
spectfuI saIam said:
II have to tell you that my beast
Banga has had to be punished often to-
day He is homesick and out of tenn
per- I have talked kindly to him;
have coaxed and reasoned. but it has
done no good He still defies me.
he viii make great trouble"
But there is no time for rest" re-
piled the overseer. who was a native
himself The work must be driven;
the bridge must be finished Tomor-
row your beast may no longer be home
sick There can be no rest for him to-
day
The mahout drove his elephant to-
the feeding place and placed food be-
fore him, but the beast would not eat
He was offered dainties, but he re-
fused them. The Elahout sang to MIN
promised him a whole months rest
when the bridge should be finished.
but Bauga made rumbling in his
throat and would not be DIacated- His
conduct was noticed by other mahouts,
and some of them said:
He should not 20 back TO Work
this afternoon. He is dangerous He
will win over our beasts Hear him
growI in this throat! The great sanlo
should be told that there is danger
Word was sent to the engineer in
charge of the works He was an
EnxIishman who had lived long IN
India and knew the ways of the natives
and elephants Some OF the beasts ana
their drivers had come two hundred
miles to work on the bridge 1t was
well known fact that now and then
an elephant got homesick and became
dangerous if not laid off for day or
two. The engineer had set out TO make |
that a banner day. and when word
came from Banga the reply went pack
thai the beast was not to be excused
You hear the word" said the ma
bout as he turned to his beast me
great sahib says that we must work
lust the same No one must. be Idle
am sorry that you are homeslck, OUT
do not make trouble for US TINS a1Ler-
noon If you will work ana pc ooe-
dent Tonight I will sing twenty songs
TO you and tell you many stories
pray you not to shame me before all
the people"
Banga rumbIed in his throat and
switch ed his tail about, and Just before 4
the whistles blew for the resumption /
of work he raised his trunk and made I
a whistIing noise through it Every
other elephant on the works caught
the sound and repeated the signal
back -
TT means danger!" whispered the
mahouts to each oTher, but the great
sahib had spoken and there was no
For two hours after dinner the work
went on at high pressure Every man
was there, and not an elephant re-
fused to obey orders Even Banga
worked better than during the morn
fuE The mahouts and their bosses
had had a vfgiIant eye on the tottng
beasts but as time passed their fears
were quieted-
Thief and robber, but dost thou not
see that Banga is at work p demanded
L foreman of the mahout.
IT See Oh one who is above me, |
was the reply. - but I do not like the
color of his eye 1t has become red-l
Deep down in his throat. also, there
S a queer noise. For ten years has he
been my humble slave. but the redness
D. his ere makes me afraid"
He is a lazy thief He would steal
line from the great sahib. II he stops
IN his work punish him."
so it shall be. and may nothing
happen. I know that Bauga loves me,
but If he hath redness of the eye how