REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 283 



by this worthy man may be in Africa, where the pachyderm 

 is much inferior in size to the magnificent specimen we have 

 to either place once more in durance vile, or destroy, yet it 

 will scarcely commend itself to you as practicable in this case; 

 but I have an inspiration. You must all have seen the admir- 

 able picture, drawn by that inimitable artist George Cruick- 

 shank, of the donkey race on Margate Sands, in which all the 

 riders had huge flails in their hands with which they were 

 heartily belabouring their patient mokes, whereas one gentle 

 coster, cuter than the rest, had tied a bundle of carrots on to 

 the end of his stick and holding the tempting vegetables 

 in front of his donkey's nose cantered in an easy winner, 

 thus illustrating successfully the superiority of kindness over 

 brute force. If such a thing as a bunch of ripe plan- 

 tains could be procured and tied on to a long bamboo, 

 I will gladly face the infuriated monster, and while thus 

 tempting him his attention will be distracted from what 

 is taking place behind him ; the mahouts can then creep up, 

 entangle his legs with their chains and we shall have him safe." 

 Shahbash said the head native constable and the loafer saying 

 he knew where a green-grocer's shop was, ran off soon to 

 reappear with a lovely bunch of golden bananas, luscious 

 enough to coax the most sulky of elephants. In vain did we im- 

 plore the heroic little Civilian not to endanger his valuable life, 

 pointing out that he ought to think of his family at home, and, 

 moreover, that he should reflect how short-handed the Civil 

 Service was of able men, but he heeded not, and handing the 

 peeler's baton to Captain Maxwell, who said he would keep it 

 in memory of one of the bravest instances of chivalry he had 

 ever witnessed, Mr. Slack declared his stern determination to 

 capture the mastodon or die in the attempt. Solemnly shak- 

 ing hands with him in case they might never see him in life 

 again, the rest marched after him and right up to the elephant 

 he strode, greeting him with friendly words, while Willie Dixon 



