Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-14
@ne Elephant Stories

Smith,. employed about the yard, teased Soo-
rath Jumal by offering him some plantains
and then taking them away again, and per-
sisted in this conduct, though warned by the
mahout of the danger he ran. At last he
ate the plantains without giving the animal
any.
Some three months after Smith was com.
ing up from the river to his home, when he
met Soorath Jumal going to his work Smith
had forgotten all about the plantains, and
"alKed on 10 pass the elephant, which occu
pied the centre of the narrow road
The moment the man came in line with his
head, the elephant swerved to his left and,
seizlng the unfortunate man round the body
with his trunk, flung him high in the air, and
then rushed forward to trample him under
foot.
The mahout, fortunately, did not lose his
presence of mind, but, hurrying forward
ously. ne iuii
This saved the mans life. As it was he
wberep wh p'cKad m;th up and taken to the hospital
fractn,aJ Ji.a a Sroken collar-bone and three
lacsuIed RIBS. Smith had plenty of time to
animal. "AN inonenei'e
purng the time I was in charge. three
paDy elephants were born What frolicsome
.,in9s they were, to-be-sure!-full of fun and
be- W5,ea as iond OF Of romp as any boy could
sizea n porker, which they much resemble
+hd me mothers were dreadfully fussy over
S;nht paoies not allowing them out Of their
slght; and If by chance the little ones stray
v.o,'iS diSMay, as they were fond of doing, they
wonid Sn Gni a. them back, and, if not needed,
W. Mould l9 NIL the air with their trumpetines un
" 'ne youngsters were driven back to them.
on one occasion, one of the mother ele-
phahts broke loose at night, and went off TO
the jungle with her baby, now a fine. pro-
old. e ioui'een inoh'ns
A week elapsed before we could canture
Her, as she cunnlngly eluded all attempts
that were made. And many were fine com.
relations. 'sn'iy uep-
AT last, one moonlight night, I took out
10y eiephants and went to the place
Where she was last reported to be seen Tho
elephants were SO disposed as to surround
the sinai pneapple-patch where we expected
W Iiiu her FEEDING. Scouts were sent ont on
on 1oot. and reported that she was feeding,
and enjoying herself nightly o.
at signal, the elephants moved on As
Iq sooH as she heard the rustling of their huge
Eodles through the long grass. she uttered a
snllil cry and turned to flee; but in vain She
was turned at every point, and her maiout
sinppihg on The elephant he was riding as the
ear ca % and 'AmG nnicLl0 smaller, caught held of her
her meek, neck, marched her back in triumph. ="
considering the huge size of the eIenbant,s
head, r, which, in a; full-grown animal. weighs
aione s,oi dpopt three hundred weight, it has but
do1rn small II 9[rain and from its position low
ll uoMn IN tne SKULL 1T makes a very difficult
marx 1or the hunter to hit. A shot strilEnv
an elephant at the boss or nroiantior i,,sf
with the brain. "ouio pe III line
Inc African elephants, of which 7 have
Ga,,a Heen .nr9e or four fine animals, are. 7 he
oniy InoI.,,a Inan tne indian species, and are
elephants are said to live tn oreo+ ,uo
one one hundred and twenty years / have Seen
stated py one writer. And in an old hooi.
oy an indian author, have read of an els.
Hnad' Einad winch was gravey asserted to have
hyed @ hve hundred years! N"''
That they do live to great aoe ;s oor..;
even even IN n captivity. From the records I conId SIl
trace that some of the elephants had in INV
care had been purchased some thirty va.rs
oelore' at Moulmein; and as they would he
aeouC & twenty-five or thirty years old when
,efft to fftu for sale, that would bring them up
yet the animals showed no signs of Gid nce
OF decrepItude; they seemed fit to last anot6.
er sixty years. '' "Ao'ii-
One way of finding their age is bv the
lop OF turnover in the upper part of the
t.. ear, "Jhicn, as the animal increases in age,
Turns down more and more
IL IS always one of the features of mill
tary parade IN India, where there is an ele-
Phaht battery, to, see the elephants march
past with the guns. '''''eA'
In perfect alignment, towering high above
the hne OF gunners in front Of them, COW
ti ered WIN their blue and red saddle cloths,
tney move on as steady as a rock, when as
the salutmg point is reached at a signal the
whole OF the animals simultaneously and grace
funy raise their trunks high in the air in sa.