To conclude my anecdotes about elephants, I must tell you two which
show, even more than the other incidents I have mentioned, the wonderful
sense they possess.
An elephant had been severely wounded, and submitting to have his wound
dressed, used, after two or three times, to go alone to the hospital and
extend himself, so that the surgeon could easily reach the injured part.
Though the pain the animal suffered was so severe that he often uttered
the most plaintive groans, he never interrupted the operation, but
exhibited every token of submission to the surgeon, till his cure was
effected.
Still more curious is the following:--A young elephant which had
accompanied its mother to the battle-field received a severe wound in
the head. Nothing could induce it to allow the injury to be attended
to. At length, by certain signs and words, the keeper explained to the
mother what was wanted. The sagacious animal immediately seized the
young one with her trunk, and, though it groaned with agony, held it to
the ground, while the surgeon was thus enabled to dress the wound. Day
after day she continued to act in the same way, till the wound was
perfectly healed.