Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-12-22
Jeremiah, the Rogue.

4 OOA OsAsAoo1 SoO AoV0 0Oe
WE were lying in Calcutta, with ou1
cargo on board, ready TO sail q soon q
her majesty's health officer should see III
to issue our certificate. Her Naiesty's
health officer, however, was in no hurry,
and saw with chagrin the prospect of be.
ing detained perhaps week for our clear
| ance.
had nothing definite to do; my mani
fest and papers were completed, and it was
with real exultation that received brief
letter from Charlie Napier, a genial Brit
isher who held comfortable government
| post, inviting me to join a hunt after q
tiresome rogue elephant, which for some
time had been annoying the people in the
neighborhood Of my friends estate.
Captain Dracutt readily granted me two
days leave Of absence, and early one sdltry
morning was rowed ashore by q patient
Hindu, and started for Charles residence,
which was some thirty -seven miles inland.
The Calcutta Railway conveyed me twenty
eight miles of my journey, and at Runject,
the terminus, found one of my friends
tservants waiting with horse. It was
midday, and scorching hot, SO l deferred
continuing my journey until afternoon.
Toward four o'clock we again started
and though the heat had moderated,
it was still very oppressive. Our road lay
through rich tropical forest, wi h cult
waited grounds atlong intervals The jun
gle was wild, and / almost instinctively
cooked my rifle as my eye distrustfully en-
deavored to pierce its thick depths and
dismal shadows.
My guide, sedate native, spoke Eng
lish plainly. He said the wood through
which we were travelling had been almost
freed of wild beasts; but that the old
rogue jeremiah had last been seen in this
vicinity.
A rogue elephant, may say, is the out
law of his herd-a fellow who, for certain
reasons, scorns the peaceful, inofensive ex-
istence of other elephants, and carries on
guerilla warfare with men. He is mar
velously cunning, a marauder, source
of perpetual mischief; and as every mans
hand is against him, he is against every
man.
We had accomplished but seven miles
when a craunching sound attracted my at
tention. The horses pricked their ears,
and seemed to be alert for danger turned
to look at my companion, who was lean
ing forward until his face almost touched
his steed's neck. The noise Of the break
ing of branches and underground con-
tinued, and the tread seemed that of some
animal of heavy weight All at once the
Indian screamed, Jeremiah jeremiah y
and squirting his horse, dashed away like
lightning.
A gigantic elephant quickly came from
the thicket. Ny first impulse was to fol-
low my companion; but fortunately had
often heard of the craft Of these elephants,
80 l decided to make bold stand, and take
my chance. Levelling my gun, took aim,
and fired. The bullet missed his eye, and
struck his forehead With kind Of shrill
snort he rushed toward me. Freeing my
feet from the stirrups and grasping at a
projecting branch, l dexteriously swung
myself into tree, as jeremiah, bristling
with rage. charged beneath me.
The horse flew ahead. My foe, recover
ing from his miscalculated dash, again
came hastily towards the tree to which
chung. He paused, and apparently debated
for few minutes as to his best course. My
rifle lay on the ground, and seeing it, he
deliberately crushed it with his great feet.
Then throwing his trunk up, he found that
I was out Of his reach, and again he
seemed to cogitate
was in a sore predicament. A roguc's
cunning is bOundless, and 1t is seldom he
will give up his pursuit of any object, when
it seems within his reach. My only hope
was that his schemes might be foiled until
assistance arrived from Charles house,
whittier hoped my attendant had flown.
After going around the tree, and survey
ing my position, the beast wound his
trunk about the bottom, and strove with
all his power to tear it from the ground.
I felt it bend and crack. My heart sank
within me- The roots were relaxing their
hold upon the earth. Climbing among the
branches, endeavoring to get to the next
tree, missed my footing, and fell. just
then the roots gave way, and the tree
toppled over.
My time had come. The mammoth
beast. avoiding the falling branches, with
surprising agility, strided towards me.
Crack! crack! Two shots were fired.
My adversary paused in bewilderment,
raised his trunk, gave shrek of rage, and
dropped to the ground with deep moan.
"Well, well, Old boy! You were as
near death that time as ever you were
Had we been a moment later, that old
william would have trampled you into a
jelly"
II was Charley who spoke, and ], in
meek submission, listened to his comic
reproaches for keeping all the "sport." as
1,H h~I nlv 20