280 THE ELEPHANT. 



glen [which had been the scene of our exploits 

 during the early part of the action, a calf of about 

 three-and-a-half feet high walked forth from a bush, 

 and saluted us with mournful piping notes. We 

 had observed the unhappy little wretch hovering 

 about its mother after she fell, and having, pro- 

 bably, been unable to overtake the herd, it had 

 passed a dreary night in the wood. Entwining its 

 little proboscis about our legs, the sagacious crea- 

 ture, after demonstrating its delight at our arrival 

 by a thousand ungainly antics, accompanied the 

 party to the body of its dam The con- 

 duct of the quaint little calf now became quite 

 affecting, and elicited the sympathy of everyone. 

 It ran round its mother's corpse with touching de- 

 monstrations of grief, piping sorrowfully, and vainly 

 attempting to raise her with its tiny trunk. I con- 

 fess that I had felt compunction in committing the 

 murder the day before, and now half resolved never 

 to assist in another ; for, in addition to the moving 

 behaviour of the young elephant, I had been unable 

 to divest myself of the idea that I was firing at my 

 old favourite Mowla-BuJchsh t from whose gallant 

 back I had vanquished so many of my feline foes in 

 Guzerat an impression which, however ridiculous 

 it must appear, detracted considerably from the 

 satisfaction I experienced." 



My friend Green also testifies to the filial affec- 

 tion at times displayed by the calf " he himself 

 having seen it," he tells me, " turn upon the hunter 

 in defence of its mother." 



In parenthesis, I may mention that Gordon 



