204 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



one of these elephant executioners. The word of com- 

 mand, ' Slay the wretch ! ' was given to him ; upon 

 which he raised his trunk, pretended to twist it round a 

 body, then slowly raised one of his fore-feet, and placed 

 it where the limbs of the victim would have been ; then 

 he stood motionless wMth his trunk in the air. He was 

 ordered to complete his work ; and he placed one foot as 

 if on the man's abdomen, and another as if on his head, 

 with apparently sufficient force to destroy life. The 

 elephant had not done this for thirty-five years, and yet 

 recollected the whole. They attain a great age, and 

 have been known to live more than a hundred years. 



Major Rogers, who had killed one thousand four 

 hundred elephants, shot one on whom the ball only made 

 a flesh wound. The creature in a fury uttered its trum- 

 pet-like shriek, seized the Major with his trunk, carried 

 him to a deep hole, dashed him into it, and trampled 

 upon him, breaking his right arm in two places and 

 several of his ribs. He must have been killed if the 

 hole had been large enough to give the elephant room 

 to exercise his whole strength. He became senseless ; 

 but when he came to himself, found the elephant gone, 

 and friends about him. He knew what had happened, 

 and said he had always made up his mind, in case of 

 such an accident, to remain quite passive, as affording 

 the best chance of escape and his plan answered. 



Nothing done to elephants by way of insult, teasing, 

 or unkindness is ever forgotten or forgiven by them, 

 and they are sure to take an opportunity of revenging 

 themselves. On the other hand, kindness is equally 

 remembered and appreciated; an awkward proof of 

 which occurred to a lady, who, when she frequently went 

 to see a male elephant, carried to him bread, apples, 



