OF WILD ANIMALS 123 



Near by, twenty laborers were working. Calling all 

 hands, they took hold of that outstretched rope, and heading 

 straight for the new Elephant House started a new tug of war. 

 Every " heave-ho " of that hilarious company meant a three- 

 foot step forward for Gentle Alice, — willy-nilly. As she raged 

 and roared, the men heaved and laughed. A yard at a time 

 they pulled that fatal left foot, into the corral and into the 

 apartment of Alice; and she had to follow it. 



Ever since that time, Alice has been permanently under 

 arrest, and confined to her quarters; but within the safe pre- 

 cincts of two steel-bound yards she carries children on her back, 

 and in summer earns her daily bread. 



Elephant Mentality in the Jungle. Mr. A. E. Ross, 

 while Commissioner of Forests in Burma, had many interesting 

 experiences with elephants, and he related the following: 



A bad-tempered mahout who had been cruel to his work- 

 elephant finally so enraged the animal that it attempted to 

 take revenge. To forestall an accident, the mahout was dis- 

 charged, and for two years he completely disappeared. After 

 that lapse of time he quietly reappeared, looking for an engage- 

 ment. As the line of elephants stood at attention at feeding 

 time, with a score of persons in a group before them, the 

 elephant instantly recognized the face of his old enemy, rushed 

 for him, and drove him out of the camp. 



An ill-tempered and dangerous elephant, feared by every- 

 body, once had the end of his trunk nearly cut off in an acci- 

 dent. While the animal was frantic with the pain of it, Mr. 

 Ross ordered him to lie down. As the patient lay in quiet 

 submission, he dressed the wound and put the trunk in rude 

 bamboo splints. The elephant wisely aided the amateur ele- 

 phant doctor until the wound healed; and afterward that once 

 dangerous animal showed dog-like affection for Mr, Ross. 



