158 BEASTS AND MEN 
straw bed, and careful nursing under my personal supervision, 
soon worked wonders, and in a week’s time I was able to 
ratify my purchase. 
The intelligence and affectionate disposition of this ele- 
phant were quite remarkable. After I had taken care of him 
for afew days he would call to me with trumpeting tones when- 
ever he heard my voice or my step, and would beg for an extra 
morsel of food, with which I used always to indulge him. I 
baptised him ‘ Bosco,” and under this name he afterwards 
became famous in the circus world. 
It was not long, only four weeks in fact, before a would- 
be purchaser of Bosco appeared upon the scene in the shape 
of an American menagerie owner, who possessed a circus in 
Buenos Ayres. Before buying Bosco, however, the Ameri- 
can desired that he should learn various tricks, and for this 
purpose it was arranged that the elephant should remain 
another six weeks in my possession. In the meanwhile I sold 
the American a troupe of performing lions, and these he sent 
off to Buenos Ayres, he himself remaining behind in order to 
take personal charge of Bosco on the passage across the 
Atlantic. I applied myself forthwith to the education of 
Bosco, and found him a marvellously apt pupil. All elephants 
are intelligent, but the quickness with which my present pupil 
understood what was required of him was simply astounding. 
The simple, old-fashioned tricks, such as used to be exhibited 
in all circuses, he learnt in a few days. He learnt in one 
day to lie down, and to sit down, at the word of command. 
In less than four weeks he would sit himself at a table, pull 
the bell, allow himself to be served by a monkey, drink out 
of a bottle, eat off a plate, and in short would dine in the most 
orthodox human fashion. He had in fact become an accom- 
plished performer. After about six weeks my friend the 
American departed, highly delighted with Bosco. Over 
in South America he was very successful, constantly hav- 
ing a full house, and making large profits. Four months 
later he was once more in Europe, wishing to make further 
