74 Wild Beasts 



commanding this huge animal, had acquired some power- 

 ful tones. As he swung the lamp, that hung by a large 

 ring, in the elephant's face, and cried out ' Roghanath Guj, 

 Roghanath Guj,' the animal seemed deeply impressed. 

 As the light ascended for the third time towards his daz- 

 zled eyes, I darted from between my two friends, who 

 stood covering the elephant with their guns, and drew 

 forth the unfortunate keeper. He was terribly mangled, 

 and quite dead." This elephant was semi-delirious, and 

 in that state the wild beast nature, which had been cov- 

 ered by a thin layer of educational polish, came out under 

 the stimulus of some passing irritation. His mahout saw 

 the man struck down, and interfered ; but the animal was 

 only restrained by his voice for a moment, and then com- 

 pleted the murder. He was not wholly demented, how- 

 ever ; for Colonel Barras says, " I could not but be touched 

 by the affection this huge creature displayed, even in his 

 madness, towards the only two people he loved, — Ghassee 

 Ram and myself. I fed him every day from my hand, 

 and he never failed to clank his heavy chains, and turn 

 round to watch me till I disappeared in my tent on leaving 

 him." 



It is probable that many persons whose minds are made 

 up on the subject of elephants, may see nothing in this 

 account but a case of perversion due to disease, and will 

 pass by the elephant's evident power of self-restraint and 

 discrimination as of no significance ; contending that 

 Roghanath Guj, like all his kind, was naturally benevolent 

 and amiable. Likewise, that the vagaries belonging to 

 certain forms of mental alienation, temporary and chronic, 



