THE GREAT THICK-SKINNED ANIMALS 
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inhabitants; and delighted much in visiting the shops, particularly 
those which sold herbs and fruit, where he was well received, except 
by a couple of brutal cobblers, who, without any cause, took offense at 
the generous creature, and once or twice attempted to wound his 
proboscis with their awls. The noble animal, who knew it was beneath 
him to crush them, did not disdain to chastise them by other means. 
He filled his large trunk with a considerable quantity of water, not of 
the cleanest quality, and advancing to them as usual, covered them at 
once with a dirty flood. The fools were laughed at, and the punish¬ 
ment applauded. 
The Elephant’s Courage. —An elephant, with a good driver, 
gives, perhaps, the best instance of disciplined courage to be seen in 
the animal world. Elephants will submit, day after day, to have pain¬ 
ful wounds dressed in obedience to their keepers, and meet danger in 
obedience to their orders, though their intelligence is sufficient to 
understand the peril, and far too great for man to trick them into 
a belief that there is no risk. No animal will face danger more 
readily at man’s bidding. As an example, it is told that a small female 
elephant was charged by a buffalo, in high grass, and her rider, in the 
hurry of the moment, and perhaps owing to the sudden stoppage of 
the elephant, fired an explosive shell from his rifle, not into the 
buffalo, but into the elephant’s shoulder. The wound was so severe, 
that it had not healed a year later. Yet the elephant stood firm, 
although it was gored by the buffalo, which was then killed by another 
gun. 
The elephant is usually gregarious and is common in the exten¬ 
sive plains and forests of the interior. Unfortunately they have been 
hunted down for their ivory during so many years that the supply is 
diminishing. 
There are many ways of hunting an elephant. The most common 
among sportsmen is to follow the trail on horseback up to within 
sight of the desired specimen and being careful to ride “up the wind,” 
or so as to keep the wind blowing from the elephants toward the 
hunter. Their sense of smell is a very keen one and should the wind 
shift and blow for an instant from the hunter’s direction they would 
be off with squeals of anger and dismay. Due care having been 
