The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1862-04-02

bic under his powerful tread, and l went
up, faster than | ever climbed before ol
ever shall again, with every stitch o.
clothes upon me completely saturated with
the perspiration wrung from me in an ag
ony of fear-not so much the natural fear
of death ITSELF as the instructive fear Of
such death.
think the animal must have turned
from direct course before espying me,
for, though close upon me as | supposed,
when / began to climb, had succeeded
in reaching the first limb, at least some
thirty feet from the earth, when he made
his appearance at the foot of the tree,
snorting and believing in the most terrific
manner. Seeing me beyond his reach, he
lashed himself into q perfect fury, his
comparatively small! pig like eyes shooting
CLEANS of fire as he cast them upward in
his disappointed rage. Then laying hold
of the tree with his trunk, he tried his
strength in shaking it; but as it was too
heavy for him to endanger my position
by that means, he soon relinquished it
for another. Quietly stepping back a
few PAGES, he measured his ground; and
then with sudden bound forward he
struck the tree tremendous blow with
his head and tusks. Twas watching him
closely, but only barely comprehended his
design in time to throw my arms and legs
around limb, and brace myself for the
shock. Nor was | at all too we'll prepar-
ed, for the concussion bruised mo not a
little, and it seemed as if a few pounds
more of force must have sent me clean
from my perch.
But my enemy was not done yet. Step
ping back and looking up at me, with an
expression that seemed to inquire what
thought of it, at the same time that he
would assure mo of its being only the
beginning of his battering operations, he
returned to the charge with increased Wig
or. But this time | was better prepared
for him, and came not so near being un-
seated rs on the first trial. Net being
discouraged, he retreated still further and
then came down like an avalanche. 1t
was terrible. l had twined and braced
myself in every possible manner, but
when he struck, it seemed as if the con-
cussion, after first bruising me, and al
most knocking the breath from my body,
relaxed every nerve. Doubtless | should
have fallen to the earth below, only that
| was pretty securely balanced in the
crotch of the tree, and having resisted
the main shock, had now no difficulty in
retaining an upright position.
On again looking down at the elephant,
l was surprised to see him with his head
fast against The tree, lashing his tail, paw
ing the earth, and uttering sort Of moan
ing, believing sound, altogether not un-
like viscious bull when about to make
an attack. l did not at first comprehend
what had occurred, but supposed his ac-
tions to result from the anger of disap-
pointment in not being able to bring me
TO the ground. But l soon had cause fol
rejoicing rather than fear. His last charge
had been made with so much force, as tc
imbed his long ivory tusks in the tree and
he was now a prisoner to his own brute
strength. In vain he pulled and wrench
ed, moaned, beloved and lashed himself
into perfect fury. There he was, fast
prisouer-caught, as one might say, in his
own trap, and if ever poor mortal was
justified in rejoicing over the misfortunes
of a living creature, l think that individ'
ual was myself.
But / was still prisoner also. How
was l to get down. True, the elephant
might not be able to liberate himself il
time to do me any injury, but already
knew enough of the terrible jungle, to fee
little inclination to set off through it alone
There we're many intricate paths branch
ing off from the main one over which
had been borne, and the mistake of tax
ing any one Of these would most certain
ly be fatal-resulting in death from star
vation through being lost, or death from
some one of the thousand surrounding per
lis. What should l dos 1t was reason
able TO hope that some one of my attend
snts would, sooner or later, return to learr
the fate of their master; and before ven
turing on anything rash, l resolved L
wait proper time for them.
Drearily passed the next three hours
that l remained upon my giddy perch
above the imprisoned beast, looking of
upon an undulating sea of matted foliage
with the hot sun Of that tropical climat,
pouring down upon me its scorching rays
and almost sitting me with its feverisl
heat. How eagerly 1 turned my eye il
every direction, in the hope of getting ,
glimpse of any one of my attendants, t,
whom l could make known my situation
No human being was in sight, and m,
widest shouts brought no reply. Shoulc
l remain where / was, or descendl W.
were, as l knew, almost half a days Jour
ney from any settlement, and il would
therefore, be impossible for me to reach
habitation before night!al, even should
be fortunate enough to follow the neares
path, while a single mistake would leav
me to perish in that awful solitude. / de