The officer stroked it and then turned to the mahout, who was standing in the background.

“Chand Khan, you are not to come near this elephant again,” he said.  “I suspend you from charge of it and shall report you for dismissal. Jao! (Go!)”

The man slunk away scowling.  Dermot beckoned to the Hindu, who approached salaaming.

“Are you this animal’s coolie?”

(The Government of India very properly recognises the lordliness of the elephant and provides him in captivity with no less than two body-servants, a mahout and a coolie, whose mission in life is to wait on him.)

The Hindu salaamed again.

“Yes, Huzoor (The Presence),” he replied.

“How long have you been with it?”

“Five years, Huzoor.”

“What is its name?”

“Badshah (The King).  And indeed he is a badshah among elephants.  No one but a Mussulman would treat him with disrespect.  Your Honour sees that he is a Gunesh and worthy of reverence.”

The animal, which was a large and well-shaped male, possessed only one tusk, the right.  The other had never grown.  Dermot knew that an elephant thus marked by Nature would be regarded by Hindus as sacred to Gunesh, their God of Wisdom, who is represented as having the head of an elephant with a single tusk, the right.  Many natives would consider the animal to be a manifestation of the god himself and worship it as a deity.  So the Major made no comment on the coolie’s remark, but said: 

“What is your name?”

“Ramnath, Huzoor.”

“Very well, Ramnath.  You are to have sole charge of Badshah until I can get someone to help you.  You will be his mahout.  Take this medicine that I have been using and put it on as you have seen me do.  Don’t let the animal blow dust on the cuts.  Keep them clean, and bring him up tomorrow for me to see.”

He handed the man the antiseptic and swabs.  Then he turned to the elephant and patted it.

“Good-bye, Badshah, old boy,” he said.  “I don’t think that Ramnath will ill-treat you.”

The huge beast seemed to understand him and again touched him with the tip of its trunk.

“Badshah knows Your Honour,” said the Hindu.  “He will regard you always now as his ma-bap (mother and father).”

Dermot smiled at this very usual vernacular expression.  He was accustomed to being called it by his sepoys; but he was amused at being regarded as the combined parents of so large an offspring.

“Badshah has never let a white man approach him before today, Huzoor,” continued Ramnath.  “He has always been afraid of the sahibs.  But he sees you are his friend. Salaam kuro, Badshah!”