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