We must get away
from the danger!"
Tusker rushed at the gate, but before he could reach it two of the new
elephants, who were tame, hurried toward him. The men on their heads
threw the big ropes about Tusker, and he was pulled by the two
elephants over toward a tree in the stockade, where he was made fast.
Tusker tried, with all his strength to break the ropes, but they only
slipped easily around the tree, from which the bark had been taken to
make it smooth and slippery for this very purpose.
"Be quiet, big, wild elephant," said one of the tame ones with a man
on his head. "Be quiet and tell your friends to be quiet also. No one
will hurt them. They will have food to eat, and sweet water to drink,
if they are quiet."
Tusker heard this, and so did some of the other wild elephants. They
were hungry and thirsty.
"Will you give us water to drink?" asked Tusker, for his trunk and
mouth were very dry.
"You shall have water enough to swim in," answered one of the
keonkies, or tame elephants.
"And may we eat?"
"You shall have all the palm nuts you want.
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