He was the absolute property of his mahout, which
would never have been the case under native rule; for Moti Guj was a creature
to be desired by kings, and his name, being translated, meant the Pearl
Elephant. Because the British government was in the land, Deesa, the mahout,
enjoyed his property undisturbed. He was dissipated. When he had made much
money through the strength of his elephant, he would get extremely drunk and
give Moti Guj a beating with a tent-peg over the tender nails of the forefeet.
Moti Guj never trampled the life out of Deesa on these occasions, for he knew
that after the beating was over, Deesa would embrace his trunk and weep and
call him his love and his life and the liver of his soul, and give him some
liquor. Moti Guj was very fond of liquor--arrack for choice, though he would
drink palm-tree toddy if nothing better offered. Then Deesa would go to sleep
between Moti Guj's forefeet, and as Deesa generally chose the middle of the
public road, and as Moti Guj mounted guard over him, and would not permit
horse, foot, or cart to pass by, traffic was congested till Deesa saw fit to
wake up.
There was no sleeping in the daytime on the planter's clearing: the wages were
too high to risk.
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