THE TAME ELEPHANT. 225 



started in pursuit of the major's children who with their 

 nurses had been watching the elephants at work. Old Soup 

 seemed to realize the situation at once. He dashed in be- 

 tween the mad elephant and the children and engaged the 

 infuriated beast in mortal combat. The fight lasted for an 

 hour and a half and when the mad elephant lay dying on 

 the ground it was found that Old Soup had many wounds 

 to remind him of the fray, his ears were badly torn, his 

 head was bruised, and one of his tusks was broken off short. 

 An Elephant Elephants are most affectionate animals and 

 Nurse. can De trusted even to take care of children. 

 Old Soup whose gallant fight recorded above gained him 

 great fame, became the daily guardian of Major Daly's 

 children, whom he had so heroically rescued. He would 

 accompany them down to the riverside when they went 

 fishing, and could himself hold a rod and line, which the 

 children baited for him, watching the float and landing the 

 fish as skilfully as an accomplished angler. 



rpj^ As we have seen in the case of a dog and 



Elephant's that of a monkey, animals sometimes rise to 

 Intelligence. the intelligence of willingly submitting to pain- 

 ful surgical treatment in view of cure. Mr. Kingston tells 

 of an elephant, which had been severely wounded, and which 

 used to go alone to the hospital and extend itself so that 

 the surgeon could easily reach the injured part. Mr. Kingston 

 says : " Though the pain the animal suffered, was so severe 

 that he often uttered the most plaintive groans, he never 

 interrupted the operation, but exhibited every token of sub- 

 mission to the surgeon till his cure was effected. " Another 

 instance given by Mr. Kingston is even more remarkable if 

 only for its analogy to human conduct. A young elephant 

 had a severe wound in its head, which it had gained on 

 the battle-field. " Nothing could induce it to allow the 

 injury to be attended to. At length by certain signs and 

 words, the keeper explained to the mother what was wanted. 



15 



