Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II by Croke Vicki Constantine

Author:Croke, Vicki Constantine [Croke, Vicki Constantine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Itzy, Kickass.to
ISBN: 9780679603993
Amazon: B00HXYLVU4
Publisher: Random House Digital
Published: 2014-07-15T04:00:00+00:00

The uzis scrubbed the elephants’ skin with a vine that lathered up like soap.

They walked down to the banks of the creek. A dozen elephants—females, tuskers, babies—splashed in the cool water. The big ones were on their sides, their uzis atop them, crouched down and scrubbing their skin with a vine that lathered up when soaked. Many of them lazily sucked water in their trunks and noisily sprayed it into their open mouths. They would do this over and over, sometimes plunking their trunks underwater and breathing out—sending a sizzle of bubbles to the surface.

As Jim and Susan continued their tour, they finally met up with the one elephant he had spoken so often about: Bandoola. Reunions with this tusker were always emotional, and though Jim never would have quite let on, Susan by now could read him. How could Jim not betray his excitement?

She felt it herself. Jim had not exaggerated—here before her was the finest tusker she had seen. No matter how long he had been separated from the elephant, Williams greeted him in the same way. He spoke to Bandoola in Burmese, rubbed his cheek, and presented a sweet hidden away for him. Susan instantly grasped Bandoola was the very embodiment of determination, an animal of the highest “courage and cleverness,” just as Jim had said. In fact, all the virtues he attributed to this elephant had reminded her of Jim himself. No man could rival Jim in her mind, but maybe an elephant could measure up.

Po Toke wanted to make a good impression, and he often liked to show off a few of Bandoola’s tricks: how he could pick up any tool asked for, tie a knot, untangle a chain, or move a boulder. Almost thinking aloud, Jim said, “He’s a wonderful animal.” Susan smiled and took his arm. “You’re quite paternal about him, aren’t you darling?”

“Am I?” Jim said. “Yes, I suppose I am.” Susan hoped she would see more of Bandoola in the months to come. Jim would make sure of it.

As they continued touring, Susan discovered the armies and air forces of biting and stinging insects. And everywhere leeches. Jim warned her that in deep jungle they came not by the hundreds, but by the thousands, and they were famous for embedding themselves in any orifice available. Susan had her fair share of them—“silently hummocking over the leaves” and attaching themselves to her skin, where they would bloat up on her blood till touched with a lighted cigarette. They, of course, made meals of the dogs, too, and the elephants even suffered the indignity of having them slither up their trunks.

It didn’t happen often as they traveled these great stretches of forest, but part of Jim’s job now was checking in on his assistants. They were all lonely young men hungry for English-speaking company. One day, they rendezvoused with a young assistant, Gerry Carol. He was like most of the others, tough and self-reliant, friendly and obliging. He was a favorite of Jim’s.

Gerry served Jim and Susan a meal with his best stores of food and liquor.

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