he air. He was pulled forward quite a
distance, when the hawser broke and his fore-legs fell on the
plank. His hind legs now were sinking and we were terribly
frightened. We felt as if we had lost him again.

The situation was not so bad as we thought, however, as it was
very easy to slip another hawser under him. This time we made a
double loop around him, and also made him hold on to the rope
around the tree with his trunk. He was very tired, but I urged
him to obey me. And now with the aid of his mother, he managed
to lift the rear half of his body and put first one leg and then
the other on the plank. A great shout of joy went through the
crowd as Kari walked on to solid ground. That instant the monkey
jumped down from the tree and fell on Kari's neck; he was very
glad to see his friend safe again. But Kari was in no humor for
anyone's caresses and he shook Kopee off. The first thing I did
was to pull some branches from a tree which Kari devoured
hungrily. A hungry elephant is not to be bothered by anyone.

I had learned my lesson. I would no longer take my elephant
anywhere and everywhere at the behest of the monkey, for monkeys
have no judgment.

CHAPTER IX

KARI'S TRAVELS

Sometimes Kari was used for travel. He and I went through many
distant places in India with camel caravans, carrying loads of
silver and gold, spices and fruits. They went from one end of
India to the other, passing through hot and deserted cities while
our accustomed way when not in their company led through populous
places and thick jungle regions. Elephants have an advantage over
camels in this respect--gangs of robbers may attack a camel and
his driver and rob him, but no one dares to attack an elephant.
As the animals of the jungle do not care to touch an elephant,
neither do wild men in desolate places. For this reason they
generally used Kari when they wanted to send pearls and other
jewels from one place to another.

Once, we were given the king's emerald to carry. It was as big as
the morning star, and burned when the glow of the noon-day sun
was upon it. Two epics were carved on it--on one side was the
story of the heroes, and on the other the story of the gods. We
left the city and passed into the jungle. Night came on apace and
we stopped.

That night I watched the jungle as I had never watched it before.
It was about nine o'clock; everything was dark and the stars were
right on the tips of the trees. Below us in