Page:Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian.djvu/138

 119 desert mounted on his favourite. The king vrAi enraged at this, and sent men in pursuit, with orders to seize the elephant, and at the same time to hring hack the Indian for punishment. Overtaking the fugitive they attempted to exe- cute their purpose, but he resisted and attacked his assailants from the back of the elephant, which in the affray fought on the side of its injured master. Such was the state of matters at the first, but afterwards, when the Indian on being wounded slipped down to the ground, the ele- phant, true to his salt, bestrides him as soldiers in battle bestride a fallen comrade, whom they cover with their shields, kills many of the assailants, and puts the rest to flight. Then twining his trunk around his rearer he hfted him on to his back, and carried him home to the stall, and remained with him like a faithful friend with his friend, and showed him every kind atten- tion.* [O men ! how base are ye ! ever dancing merrily when ye hear the music of the frying-pan, ever revelling in the banquet, but traitors in the hour of danger, and vainly and for nought sul- lying the sacred name of friendship.] AlexcmdeTj of the elephant of P6ros : — " This elephant during the whole battle gave extraordinary proofs of his sagacity and care of the ^g's person. As long as that prince was able to fight, he defended him vrith great courage, and re- pralsed all assailants ; and when he perceived him ready to sink under the multitude of darts, and the wounds vnth which he was covered, to prevent his falHng off he kneeled down in the softest manner, and vyith his proboscis gently drew every dart out of his body." Digitized by Google
 * Compare the account given in Plutarch's Life of