1937-11-05 — Page 22

THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT

“IT KILLED THE CAT"

(Continued from Page 1)

and piling teak There was something in that sight which ter- rified him, and so, for all his bulk, he departed with the sudden and undetectable illusion" of A Meeting shadow- - Even the astute. little Assamese hunter did not witness his going.

But the jungli-wallah, both by inheritance and lifelong practice, knew all that a man may find out about the habits of elephants. Therefore he knew that Roshni had aroused the curiosity of the wild elephant and for that reason. he went, when evening was come, to the tent of Branson-sahib and suggested a certain plan for the taking of Paramah. The beast, he said, was one of the best con- ditioned young elephants he had seen for many a season, one more over which he believed must have crossed the Jamsuj, a thing no elephant of the north had been known to do before, and one, moreover, which would grow into a bull fit to bear the howdah of the mightiest of rajahs.”

Meanwhile, Paramah was mov- ing steadily north, intent upon re-crossing the river to that land where the indignity of work was not put upon the hathi-log by hu- man beings.

Hard on the tracks of Paramah rode Branson-sahib, mounted on Roshni's brother, while Roshni paced beside him free of trap- pings or harness,

The mahouts and the hunters attached to Branson-sahib's keddah were sent flying on ahead, with orders to fire the reeds along the southern bank of the Jamsuj, so that Paramah might be pre- vented from crossing over.

This advance party reached the

·river perhaps an hour before the elephant, and smoke from the fires they kindled sent him flying back to the open plains, where be wandered in terror for the next few days. But, all the while, his curiosity concerning Roshni was

ك

eating away his fears, and slowly " but surely his wanderings were taking him further and further south.

DA

The little Jungli-wallah waited to see no more. In a moment he was flying back to the camp. He awakened Branson-sahib with the news that Roshni was missing, and at once the whole place was

All of which suited Branson- sahib's book nicely, for he did not want the task of hauling a recall citrant elephant for miles miles to the Heddah.

A fortnight passed before they were anywhere near the keddah, and Branson was considering the advisability of ordering a regular elephant drive, when the little samese, one night, drugged Rosh- ni's mahout and untethered the Koomeriah cow. With arak he

a turmoil The Koomeriah's mahout was inconsolable at the loss, but Branson-sahib bade him sharply to cease walling and pouring dust upon his head and to get out in search of Roshni

Meanwhile, a strange battle of wills was in progress, for when Paramah would have turned north with his new found mate. Roshni obstinately refused to budge a foot unless he would follow her

Paramah did not realise, at

had first, that the great gates been closed immediately after they had entered. When he would have left after gorging himself, he found the exit closed, and

panic seized him. Hither and thither he rushed, knocking over every elephant that got in his

ways

And then came: Bronson-sahib and sent in the keddah the strong fighting elephants which kept to tame rogues when the an- nual drives are made, and be tween them, they beat. into submission, but not withou

lured her away from Branson's to the south; and since Paramah a tremendous struggle

camp in the direction of the range of low hills in which he was pretty certain that Paramah had sought a refuge. Then he took the primitive horn that was slung about his shoulders and sent ringing through the night a wonderful imitation of the mat- ing call of the elephant-folk.

Paramah heard and instantly answered, Roshni cocked her big ears and trumpeted back, while the Assamese waited upon the tenterhooks of suspense.

At last, however, a big grey shadow came gliding out of the hills, and Roshni went forward to meet Paramah. But as they drew nearer to one another each great beast decreased its pace un- til no more than the length of an elephant's trunk lay between them. Then Roshni stood shyly dusting her fore-legs, while Para- 1 mah allowed the gaze of his little red eyes to rove all round - the moonlit landscape so long as his glance did not remain fixed upon Roshni

Presently he stretched out his trunk and touched her gently, but, at that first suggestion of a caress, she started like a fright- back ened filly and began to away. Paramah followed. made. bold by her coy retirement, and soon they stood with long trunks inter-twined.

CABBAGES AND KINGS

E had just returned from a part of Africa which is generally held to be very un- healthy, and he was holding forth:

"There's nothing the matter All with the country, he said.

ype of it requiries is a better settler and a decent. supply."

"If you come to think of it," marked one of his friends, are the only drawbacks to

Hade

Yes, Sir!

"It is very hard, don't you think," said the sentimental land- lady to her American boarder, "that this dear little lamb should. have been destined to satisfy our appetites ?”

“Ma'am,” replied the boarder, "Tll say it certainly is tough.

Miss 1937 “Will you have quiet horn on the Haven't you a1

loud

insatiable curiosity, as to the pur- pose of the keddah and as to why elephants had to work, was still unsatisfied it was her will that prevailed in the end, and so morn- ing found them drawing ever closer to the first outposts of civi- lisation

The Assamese had already pick ed up the trail, and Branson and his elephants were following hard behind Meantime a mahout had been sent forward with orders for the keddah to be made ready.

The work was quickly carried out and not a single native was in sight when Roshni brought Paramah in through the great gates of the high stockade where, apparently, elephants of all kinds were contentedly feeding upon huge bundles of luscious sugar-

cane.

while, Roshni's mahout, overjoyed at the sight of the beast he re- garded with greater affection than he felt for any of his child- ren, had slipped into the melee and brought her safely out of the turmoil.

-All through the night Paramah trumpeted and fought against the chains that shackled him, but, little by little, his spirit was con- quered and he came to know and love his mahout. The next time he saw Roshni he was pacing do- cilely along with a pack saddle upon his back. One day, how ever, that pack was destined to be replaced by the Viceroy's how- dah, but meanwhile Paramah had paid for his curiosity with his

-bei liberty. For the time moreover, he had ceased to take an interest in female elephants, strange stockades and even stranger lands.

Equal to

fine-biqueur

ConnoisseuT-

Japanese national hobby now seems to be collecting China.

Utopia What a pleasant place this old wood be if people who to say wouldn't say

lack of park- that makes the world.

Bound Figure

Old Lady: "Let me see What did I give you last Christmas?”

Postman: Minepence, ma'am " Old LadyThen here's three pence. That will make it up to a

Fyll

're letting your - son

drive the car

Yes, he's much too young to be trusted as a pedestrian.”

"I can tell

White Horse

blindfold! And to think that at one

time I used simply to ask for whisky and soda! White Horse is just like a fine liqueur

Sale