256 



Charley s Wondei'fiil Journeys. 



to the jungles again. If we could only 

 make them understand our language we 

 could easily keep them in awe." 



These remarks were received by a gen- 

 eral grunt of approval. 



" Didn't you always keep men to do 

 things for you ?" asked Charley. 



"Oh, no," replied the Elephant, ''we 

 used to run wild in the woods, and do the 

 best we could, and, of course, had nothing 

 but trees to browse on; but we came to a 

 sort of understanding with the men, that if 

 we would come and protect them from the 

 big cats, which they are so much afraid of, 

 they would render us faithful service, but 

 they are always trying to encroach, and 

 assuming to be masters, or shirking their 

 duties, but worst of all is their inability to 

 learn our language. If we didn't learn 

 something of their language there could be 

 no communication whatever between us, 

 and the aggravating thing is, that the more 

 we learn the more we have to give in to their 

 way of doing things, and with all their in- 

 telligence they are dreadfully self-willed 

 creatures." 



"There's a mosquito just behind you, 

 boring into my shoulder," said the white 

 Elephant to Charley, " I wish you'd flatten 

 him. Here, this will make a nice whisk," 

 he continued, as he pulled up a small sap- 

 ling and drew it through his trunk to strip 

 off all the leaves but the crown tuft, then 

 biting off the root, he handed, or rather 

 trunked it up to Charley, and instructed him 

 to keep it going vigorously before and be- 

 hind, as the flies were getting troublesome. 



They soon arrived at a fig tree grove, and 

 the men, knowing their duty, went up to 

 chop branches while the Elephants browsed 

 under the trees, picked up the fallen limbs, 

 and placed them on their backs. 



The white Elephant, having no load to 

 carry, strolled from tree to tree, picking up 

 the juiciest shoots, and occasionally remind- 

 ing Charley of his duty, which, although not 

 heavy, began at length to feel irksome. 



The loading came to an end, the troop 

 started for home, stopping to take in a 

 liberal supply of water at a creek which they 

 crossed on the way, went home and munch- 

 ed away at the fig branches while their cakes 

 were being got ready and baked; the white 

 Elephant got his daily ration or tribute of 

 raw sugar, the cakes were all disposed of, 

 Charley getting his ration with the rest, and 

 after dinner the Elephants began to call 

 loudly and impatiently for their bath. 



"This is what I call the pleasantest hour 

 of the day," remarked the white Elephant 

 to Charley as he lay on his side with out- 

 stretched limbs after the first jet of water 

 had been splashed over him. " I must teach 

 you to handle the scrubbing brush nicely, 

 for the worst of these black fellows is that 

 if I tell them where it itches they don't 

 understand. I may as well tell them my 

 knee as my elbow. Yesterday it was itch- 

 ing inside my ear, and I kept telling the fel- 

 low, but it was no good. Then I flapped 

 my ear until at last he understood; but 

 really, you know, it looks so ridiculous, and 

 signs are not like speech; how can you 

 make signs to a man that you want him to 

 scratch you between the toes?" 



"Yes, that's nice," said he as Charley 

 used the stiff scrubbing brush vigorously. 

 " Now scrub the insides of my arms, and 

 look carefully if there is any scurf in the 

 folds of the skin at the armpits." 



And so he went on giving his orders, and 

 rolling over, and having more water spurted 

 upon him until Charley was ready to drop. 

 He made up his mind that he had had quite 

 enough of white Elephants, and determined 

 to escape as soon as night set in. 



Perhaps the white Elephant had his sus- 

 picions, for while Charley was fanning him 

 later in the day, he cautioned him to lie 

 very close to him at night, because of the 

 big cats which were prowling around all 

 night, and which were big enough to eat 

 him almost at a mouthful. 



Charley shuddered, but all the same he 



