Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 57: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE WHITE ELEPHANT 51 already killed two men, wrecked a village and killed one of the prince’s best ele- phants and gored several others. As long as Paa Luang only killed men and wrecked villages, the chow did not bother about him, but when he started killmg other elephants, the chow became excited. He told Sewai to shoot him immediately. That elephant is a devil at all times, but when he is on must he is worse than a spirit tiger. He will kill anything he sees.”” “When did Sewai start out to find Paa Luang?”’ “Only about an hour ago. He ought to find the elephant today, because when last seen, Paa Luang was not far away and was coming in this direction.” Sommerfield turned to Red Moon. “Go find Sewai and tell him I will give him fifteen ticals extra if he cripples Father Eclipse of the Moon before night.” FTER a few questions as to where Sewai might be found, Red Moon started off hurriedly. The camp, which had been deserted, now assumed its normal appearance. The men sat ina circle discussing the rage and fierceness of the great tusker. The men told Panya of his terrible strength and how he had broken loose. The stories they told were such wonderful fabrications that Sommer- field stayed to listen. As the tale was nearing completion, Boon, the rider of a quiet female elephant, rushed up breathlessly. “Bua Kam calved this morning and the calf is an albino!” he exclaimed. “She would not let me get close to touch the calf, but I could see the hairs on his tail. They are white, as white as cooked rice!” The group of natives stared at Boon as if he had announced the end of the world. They were incredulous, be- wildered, stunned. “Tt is true, Nai Som-er-fee,” he said, turning to the Britisher. “It is true. I thought I was crazy when I first saw it. IT rubbed the eyes. I pounded the head. I looked again. The hairs on the tail are white! And there are five toe§ on the right front foot. I saw them, too. His whole body is pinkish and covered with white hairs.” “Where did you get your opium?” asked Sommerfield. “Nai Som-er-fee, I do not smoke opium. I sell my allowance of opium every month. It is true. Comeand see.” Sommerfield knew that it was possible that the calf was a white elephant, or albino, as the Siamese word should be translated; but he also knew that the chances against its being a white elephant were more than a thousand to one. If it were a white elephant, he knew it was a startling event—an event important enough to bolster up the tottering desti- nies of the government. He recalled the letter from Hodgkins. ‘Unless the com- pany can do something to ingratiate itself with the government—” Ingratiate itself? If it were really a white elephant, the com- pany could get anything it wanted. He would not be discharged. He would not have to look for a situation in England. For a moment Sommerfield saw a long and pleasant career as a jungle walla stretch- ing out before him and then put the thought out of his mind. Why raise false hopes? “Nai Som-er-fee, I believe Boon is tel- ling the truth,” said Panya, the spirit doctor. ‘‘Many omens have foretold the birth. You have just witnessed the last. Father Eclipse of the Moon is the young elephant’s sire. You have seen an exhibi- tion of strength and power which, to my knowledge, no elephant has ever dis- played. This morning Father Eclipse of the Moon went on must and at the same time the young elephant.was born. That prodigious strength of the great ‘tusker was the strength of Buddha. The white elephant will be as strong as his father, and the king will be as much greater than other men as Father Eclipse of the Moon is greater than other elephants. “T have noticed other omens. Prob- ably Nai Som-er-fee did not notice that three days ago there was a large white cloud in the eastern sky which took the form of a white elephant. The head was comicloooks.com