98 The Life of an Elephant 



the nails and soles of the feet, to detect any 

 wound or scar ; finally climbing on his back and 

 searching for old scars, knowing that harness 

 galls, though healed, have a way of breaking 

 out, especially in the moisture of the rainy 

 season. He found nothing amiss, though he 

 continued to pretend to be dissatisfied, and 

 then, with the final remark that the price was 

 excessive, he retired. 



Half an hour later Kareem stood in the door 

 of a tent, and was speaking to a khaki-clad 

 figure within. His language had altered con- 

 siderably during this short time. " Sahib," he 

 said, " there is a tusker standing in the fair who 



o 



is fit for a king to ride now ; in the future, with 

 good fortune, he will be perfection. In height 

 he is six cubits, his head and trunk are massive, 

 his back straight as a line, his tail almost 

 touches the ground, and his feet and nails are 

 as they should be. He has no scar or blemish, 

 and as to docility, he allowed me to handle him 

 freely, and we are already as brothers." 



The subsequent haggling over price would 

 be too tedious to follow, it is sufficient to say 



