94 ELEPHANT'S TRICKS. 



while I was there, and, by the bye, so good a player at draughts, 

 that he used to aver and his unusual skill seemed to prove the 

 correctness of the assertion that, if he had the first move, he 

 could win to a certainty, was accustomed to summon his servant by 

 sending his dog for him. On getting the signal, away the Maltese 

 poodle would go, not much impeded by closed doors in that hot 

 climate, and, by a bark, inform the man that he was wanted. 



159. The daily routine of a quiet bachelor's life is so unvaried in 

 those barracks, that the servant could generally guess w r hat was 

 required ; and visitors were often surprised at hearing the officer 



(Major F e) say to his dog, " Tell John to bring my sword and 



cap," or " the breakfast," &c. and still more surprised at seeing that 

 such orders were punctually obeyed. 



160. But for exhibiting tricks with effect doubtless my old warm- 

 hearted friend K g, (elsewhere mentioned 450,) bears off the 



palm. He brought two young elephants to England from Ceylon ; 

 one he secured when it was a mere baby, and would not quit the 

 side of its dam after he had shot her. The other was about seven 

 feet high. He had taught them several tricks before they em- 

 barked, and during the long voyage home, passed on deck, they 

 had learned many others from the sailors, and, when needed, would 

 usefully help in giving " a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull all 

 together." 



161. General B g having spoken to the Duchess of Y k 



about the little animals, she happened to say she would like to 



possess the smallest ; of course K g was too gallant a man not 



to send it at once to Oatlands. George the Fourth heard of the 

 other ; and on some of his staff mentioning that it would be acceptable 

 to His Majesty, it went to the Pavilion at Brighton. It was kept 

 there until they were tired of it, when it was transferred to the 



Tower. Hearing of its being there, K~ -g one morning went into 



the menagerie. An officer of the Guards, on duty at the Tower, 

 was at the moment seeing the animals with a party of ladies ; 



K g was in a hurry, and inquired where the elephant was, 



saying he had come expressly to have a look at him and nothing 

 else. The officer very good-humouredly observed that it mattered 

 not what beasts they saw first, so the party adjourned to the 



elephant. K g urged the keeper to go into the den to show 



him off, but the man said the animal had so recently arrived there 



that he was afraid. K g offered to go in. The man refused 



leave, stating it was more than his situation was worth to permit it. 



K g pressed to be allowed. The officer warmly urged the 



keeper to comply, * as the gentleman felt so confident," and the 



keeper wavering, K g, without saying another word, squeezed 



himself through the massive oak bars, went up boldly to the 

 elephant, put his hand on his shoulder as he use I to do in old 

 days ; the sagacious brute at once obeyed the signal and lay down, 

 got up again when desired, salaamed to the ladies, held a foot out 



for K g to stand on, then raised it up to aid K g in getting 



on his back, and afterwards lay down to enable his old master to 



