156 THE STORY OF THE ELEPHANT. 



struck the elephant on the foot nine times to indicate the number of days 

 he would be absent. During the nine days the elephant performed his regu- 

 lar duties under the guidance of another keeper, but when the master failed 

 to return on the tenth day, Moti Guj rebelled and refused to work. Not only 

 did he absolutely refuse to perform his regular duties, but he went among 

 the other elephants and induced them to go on a strike. There was a general 

 revolt, and the police elephants, which are kept on all the large Indian planta- 

 tions for the purpose of chastising unruly members of the band, were sent out 

 to subdue the leader of the rebels. But Moti Guj showed fight and he finally 

 overpowered and drove back the police. The herd was on a rampage the re- 

 mainder of the day, but the following morning the keeper returned and Moti 

 Guj was set to doing hard tasks. He accepted the situation cheerfully. 



During one of the wars in India I had an opportunity of observing one of 

 the elephants that had received a flesh wound from a cannon-ball. After hav- 

 ing been two or three times conducted to the hospital, he always used to go 

 alone to have his wound dressed. 



The domesticated elephant is largely employed in India for the transport of 

 heavy camp-equipage, for dragging timber to the rivers, and in lieu of horses 

 for artillery; and is of "especial value in traversing districts where roads are 

 either wanting, or are so bad as to be impassable for other animals when 

 laden. Elephants may be employed either as beasts of burden or of draught. 

 In dragging timber of moderate dimensions, a short rope is attached to one 

 end of each log, which the elephant seizes between his teeth, and thus raising 

 his burden from the ground, half carries and half drags it away. Tuskers are 

 both stronger and more useful than females, since their tusks often aid them 

 in the performance of their duties. 



The majority of the animals employed in tasks like the above, belong to 

 what the natives term the inferior castes; tuskers of the finest and most ap- 

 proved form being far too expensive to be put to such uses. The majority 

 of such animals are, indeed, purchased by the native princes, by whom they 

 are used in state pageants, and the taller the animal, the greater his value. 



In India these animals were formerly employed in the launching of ships. 

 An elephant was directed to force a very large vessel into the water; but the 

 work proved superior to his strength. His master, in a sarcastic tone, bade 

 the keeper take away this lazy beast, and bring another. The poor animal 

 instantly repeated his efforts, fractured his skull, and died on the spot. 



A story is related of an elephant having formed such an attachment for 

 a very young child, that he was never happy but when the child was near 



