Tusker Tales by Ruskin Bond

Author:Ruskin Bond [Bond, Ruskin]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9788129121936
Publisher: Rupa Publications Private Limited
Published: 2013-03-31T16:00:00+00:00

From Among Pirates and Pygmies

By K.M. Eady (1897)

A Superannuated Elephant

WG. Adam

bout the year 1815, when the British finally decided to have done with the Kandian kings of the hill country in Ceylon, an elephant, named Maharajah, was imported from India for the transport of heavy guns. The beast had then been some years in captivity, and, ten years later, when his battery was stationed at Badulla, he was liberated as being too old for further work. At the time the last part of this decision was made, an order was issued to have the animal shot, but, on account of his faithful servitude and as a general favourite owing to his invariable good temper, the death sentence was commuted to one of banishment for life.

At first, Maharajah would not leave the lines. Even when ridden away for twenty miles or so by his mahout and let loose in the jungle, he would return, seeming to have no desire for freedom. Later, just before the battery was removed to a new centre, for the fifth time he was taken off into the jungle and left, on this occasion in the wild country between Taldena and Aluthnuwara.As before, Maharajah made his way back to Badulla, only to find that his battery had left the town and forsaken him. For some days, the elephant loitered about in apparent hope of the return of his friends, then he gave up hope and made his way back to Taldena, near which village he lived for some time until an enterprising Sinhalese attempted to catch him. This was against the beast's idea of the fit, so, after breaking a stockade built for his benefit, and damaging two men seriously (of which there is a record) he took to the jungles lying near the Umi-oya river. He was an easily recognised animal, for the tethering marks on his hind legs and the deep trace scars down his sides gave him away wherever he went; besides, he was always solitary and did not seem to mind whether men saw him or not. As the 'gun elephant' he was known and respected in that country until 1855, when a party of surveyors took umbrage at the fact that he followed them for some days, and, much against local opinion, fired at him.

Appuharmy, an old tracker of the district, who died some ten years ago, remembered thin happening well as a boy. Maharajah took little notice of the shooting at the time, merely retiring into the jungle; but, two nights later, he raided the survey camp, smashed everything, stamped the remains deep into the earth, and killed two men in the general scuffle. There is a private record of this, mentioning the 'gun elephant,' besides Appuharmy's word. Hue and cry was raised now against Maharajah lest, having tasted the delight of killing, he might do further damage. The villagers were turned out with torch and tomtom to drive him from the country, upon which the animal took to the Umi-oya river bed and tramped off up stream at a quick march.

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