io8 The Life of an Elephant 



such occasions he was reminded by a peremptory 

 order in elephant language, intelligible to him- 

 self and to the clan of mahouts, but conveying 

 no meaning whatever to those outside this close 

 corporation. As the afternoon wore on, he 

 would find himself on the banks of river or lake 

 and, wading in, would take a prolonged bath, 

 emerging with soft, black skin, cleansed from 

 all impurities, then stride away back to camp, 

 knowing far too well to again soil himself with 

 dust or mud and so provoke the displeasure of 

 his driver. 



Then followed the long, calm nio-ht, when the 



o ' o ' 



moon shone in misty brilliance over the forest, 

 and the jungle tribes came out to feed and play. 

 The elephant knew each one by sight or sound. 

 When the tigress roared for her cubs to rejoin 

 her, or the tiger growled with rage after un- 

 successful hunting the elephant understood what 

 was in their thoughts. When the deer gave 

 their alarm cry, the bell of sambhar, the whistle 

 of spotted deer, the baying of barking-deer 

 were as if the difficulties and dangers of the 

 jungle life were being related to him ; he stood 



