Маугли
Toomai of the Elephants
Hehadbeenhoistedintoashipattheendofasteamcraneandtakenfordaysacrossthewater,andmadetocarryamortaronhisbackinastrangeandrockycountryveryfarfromIndia,andhadseentheEmperorTheodorelyingdeadinMagdala,andhadcomebackagaininthesteamerentitled,sothesoldierssaid,totheAbyssinianWarmedal.HehadseenhisfellowelephantsdieofcoldandepilepsyandstarvationandsunstrokeupataplacecalledAliMusjid,tenyearslater;andafterwardhehadbeensentdownthousandsofmilessouthtohaulandpilebigbalksofteakinthetimberyardsatMoulmein.Therehehadhalfkilledaninsubordinateyoungelephantwhowasshirkinghisfairshareofwork.
Afterthathewastakenofftimber-hauling,andemployed,withafewscoreotherelephantswhoweretrainedtothebusiness,inhelpingtocatchwildelephantsamongtheGarohills.ElephantsareverystrictlypreservedbytheIndianGovernment.Thereisonewholedepartmentwhichdoesnothingelsebuthuntthem,andcatchthem,andbreakthemin,andsendthemupanddownthecountryastheyareneededforwork.
KalaNagstoodtenfairfeetattheshoulders,andhistuskshadbeencutoffshortatfivefeet,andboundroundtheends,topreventthemsplitting,withbandsofcopper;buthecoulddomorewiththosestumpsthananyuntrainedelephantcoulddowiththerealsharpenedones.
