Answer:
It appeared to me that if the elephants were heart-broken, and in despair at the apparently interminable mountain pass, it would be advisable to let them know the actual truth... (I think I did this assignment a while back)
Step-by-step explanation:
This is because, for the author to have acknowledged that the elephant might be heartbroken shows that, the author has compassion for the plight which the elephants are subjected to.