elephant boy did not have to learn to read and write. But he had to
learn the meaning of Indian words, so that when he heard them he would
know which meant go to the right or which to the left, and which meant
to stand still, to kneel down or to go forward.

But I am getting a little ahead of my story. Umboo was still in the
stockade trap with the other elephants. And there they were kept two
or three days, without anything to eat or anything to drink. Fast they
were kept in the stockade, where they could not get out, and as the
days passed, and they felt very badly at not having anything to eat,
or anything to drink, the elephants grew more quiet. No longer did
they rush at the fence, and fall into the ditch. They huddled together
in the middle part, and rubbed their trunks against one another, as
men, in trouble, might shake hands.

"Oh, will we ever get out of this, and have sweet bark and palm nuts
to eat again?" asked Umboo. "It was almost better to be lost in the
jungle, as I was, than it is to be here, for then I had enough to eat.
But of course I was lonesome without you," he said to his mother. "But
I am hungry now."

"Perhaps they will let us out, or feed us soon," she said.

And, a little while after this, a noise was heard at the strong gate
of the trap. It was slowly opened, but the elephants that were caught
did not rush out. They feared more danger.

And then, to the surprise of Umboo and the others, in through the gate
came great big elephants, and on the tops of their heads sat men,
dressed in black clothing. And the men had strong ropes in their