44 The Life of an Elephant 



the presence of water if close below the surface 

 of the soil, and dig for it with his powerful fore- 

 feet ; and, as to forest fires, with one wave of 

 his trunk he could locate the danger and strike 

 across the wind so as to avoid this terror. 



All this and much more was known to him, 

 and in self-defence against other jungle tribes, 

 he was fully armed. His fore-foot, gently 

 swinging as a pendulum till the accurately 

 timed instant when it shot forth with prodigious 

 force, could dispose of any dangerous intruder ; 

 for the less important kind his trunk was ready 

 to deal a shrewd blow just as easily as it could 

 be used to blow away an objectionable insect or 

 to give the softest of caresses. 



And so, as he increased in size, he increased 

 in knowledge, became gradually more inde- 

 pendent of his fellows, and was able to find a 

 living for himself, though the love of company 

 still kept him with the herd where he had lived 

 for so long in happiness and safety. 



