12 Wild Beasts 



also most ingenious. They will scramble down the bank 

 where the water is deepest, and then, after either wading 

 or swimming up or down stream, ascend the opposite bank 

 a good half-mile or more from where they descended, 

 thereby doubly increasing the difficulty of following them." 



Many animals rival elephants in those respects described, 

 and a few surpass them. All that they do has been too 

 much exaggerated, and their unquestionable sagacity loses 

 much of its point by being unduly exploited. 



Relative complexity of structure in brain and mind is in 

 no way more strongly marked than by the ability to sup- 

 press emotion. This is not the highest characteristic of 

 an evolved organism, but it is one that no being which is 

 not of a high grade can possess. When a captive elephant, 

 often without any provocation, makes up its mind to com- 

 mit murder, nothing can exceed the patience with which 

 the animal awaits an opportunity, except its power of dis- 

 simulation. How it regards the contemplated act, what 

 thoughts and feelings are agitated while brooding over its 

 accomplishment, we do not know, but the history of many 

 such cases has been fully given, and of the behavior dis- 

 played under these circumstances we can speak with 

 certainty. 



■ Generally elephants kill their attendants, as being those 

 most likely to give offence. An antipathy is, however, some- 

 times conceived against some casual acquaintance, whose 

 efforts to ingratiate himself have only inspired the creatures 

 with a causeless hatred. It is the fashion to say that 

 homicide by these beasts always indicates that they have 

 been injured. People endow elephants with an exag- 



