United States or Senegal ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Then this elephant who is now my master, caught the man who stood watching as you saw him take me down, swiftly and swung him, but in a circle. The man struck the ground on his head and it was broken; also his ribs." Low murmurs of appreciation swelled among the listening mahouts. Ram Yaksahn bent his head.
"The daughter of High Himalayan mahouts called this black majesty 'Nut Kut'; and they have added that name on the Government books. But they will not take his first name away. I have finished." And Ram Yaksahn gave himself to his hookah still keeping his eye on Nut Kut. "His first name has not been told," mildly reminded the very old man.
Now Nut Kut lowered him quickly holding him before his own red eyes. The touch of the elephant was the touch of a master. But the eyes of the man were mastership itself. . . . They were just so, when Ram Yaksahn with a ghastly haggard face lurched from behind Nut Kut, fairly sobbing. "Now easy, Majesty, go easy with me indeed I am very ill!"
Ram Yaksahn protested in plaintive tones, as Nut Kut wheeled away with him. Seeing Horace in the hands of a strange native and certainly recovering Skag looked away toward Hurda and wonder aloud if Nut Kut would be punished. It was the master-mahout who answered him: "Nay, Sahib. He has done no harm." "I'd like to have a chance with him," said Skag.
Ram Yaksahn, his mahout whose voice had not been heard before cried out; and Mitha Baba went in like a thunder-bolt. How it happened no one could tell, but one of the wild elephants before Mitha Baba's rush, or in the instant when she reached him caught his tusk under Nut Kut's side-bands. They were made of heavy canvas, with chains on top.
I saw the little body swing up, far above my head the so very little body and I heard her cry in the same breath." Ram Yaksahn laid his forehead against his fists and softly beat his head. Looking up with drawn features, he went on: "My face was in the grasses when I heard her laugh.
Then the man received their ministrations keeping an eye on the elephant. When he was ready to smoke, he began slowly: "Ram Yaksahn is my name; and my ancestors from the first far breath of tradition have been servants of the elephant people. We were of High Himalaya till the man who was the man before my father. Since then we serve in the Vindha Hills.
"Now what is his record?" one asked. "First, there is a record," Ram Yaksahn replied, "which may be his or another's. It is your right to know. "Four monsoons before this elephant was trapped, the body of a forest reserve officer was found on a mountain slope. The head was broken; and the ribs.
Rains had washed away all earth-marks, but small trees had been uprooted near that place; therefore the thing had been done by an elephant. Close by, a dead dog lay; entirely battered and a split stick. Burial was given to that man with few words. He was not mourned. May the gods render to him his due!" The mahouts assented, as Ram Yaksahn smoked a moment.
"There is yet one thing," Ram Yaksahn resumed, "and I should cover my face to tell it. But if you learn that I am a fool of fools, consider my foolishness. His blackness is strange; his strength is mighty it took four to handle him, not two, in the beginning and his quickness is more quick than a man can think. Also, he has a red devil in his eye.
Word Of The Day