Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-12-15

the house to tell. the wonderful news to
the family until the dusk of evening stole
upon them Woods Household MdgaEineU
r a'Oi- jeremiah, the Rogue. i4
WE were lying in Calcutta, with our
cargo on board, ready to sail as soon as
her majesty'ss health officer should see fit
to issue our certificate. Her Majesty's
health officer, however, was in no hurry,
ssndAI saw with chagrin the prospect of be-
ing detained perhaps week for our clear
ance. ae. 7eI ta5 myaC al .nsihGL 81
I had nothing definite to, do; my mani
fest and papers were completely and twas
with real exultation that received brief
letter from Charlie Napier, a genial Brit
islier who held comfortable government
post, inviting me to Join a hunt after a
tiresome rogue elephant, which for some
time had been annoying the people ip; the
neighboThood of my friends estate.
9 e Captain Dracdtt readily granted metwo
days. leave of.absence, and early one sultry
morning was rowed ashore by a patient
Hindu, and started for Charles residence,
which was, some, thirty seven miles inland.
The Calcutta Railway conveyed me twenty
eight miles of f1my journey, and at Runjeet,
the terminus q found one of my friends
servants waiting with horse. 1t was
midday, and scorching hot, SO j deferred
2
: Toward four, o'clock We; again started,
and though the heat had moderated,
it was still very oppressive. Our road lay
through rich tropical fofest,s with culti7
waited grounds at long intervals. The jun
gle was wild, and almost instinctively
cooked my rifle as my eye distrustfuIy en-
deavored to pierce its thick depths and
dismal shadows. asftas .,---,.-
q NY guide, sedate native, spoke Eng
Ish plainly. He said the wood through
which we were travelling had been almost
freed of wild beastsj but That the old
rogue jeremiah had last been seen in this
vicinity. - t9it's Us itsyiI t.i
: A rogue.elephant,s i may. 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
q guerilla warfare with mem He is mar
velously cunning, a marauder, source
of perpetual mischief; and as every mans
hand is against him, he is against every
man. 5igag rnE E=tr.fs -Doa
2 We had accomplished but seven miles
when a craunching sound attracted my at
tention The horses prickedl 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 steeds neck. TIE noise of the break
ing of branches and ,uRdergrowth con
ti1ued, and the tread seemed that of some
animal of heavy weight. All at once the
Indian screamed p" Jeremiah Jeremiah r.
and squirting his horse dashed away IKE
lightning. -,.o .f.t-,L
the thicket. Ny first impulse was .toy fol
low my companion but Fortunately had
often heard Of the craft of these elephants,
SO / decided to make bold Stand, and take
my chance Levelling my1guR 1took aim,
and fired. Is The bullet missed his eye, and
struck his forehead With kind of shrilt
snort he rushed toward me. Freeing my
feet from the stirrups and sgfaspiug at a.
protecting branch, I, dexteriously swung
myself into a tree, as jeremiah, brlsthng
with rage. charged beneath me. slR1 ~
The horse flew ahead. My. foe, recover
ing from; his miscalculatedt dash, again
came hastily towards the tree to which /
chung. He paused, and apparently debated
for few minutes as to his best course. My
rife lay ON the ground, and seeing it. fhe
deliberately crushed it with his great feet
Then throwing his trunk DIP, hefound that
L was out of lhisa reach, and again be
seemed to cogitate.b bE5gE,r, aaYs,.4
was in a sore predicament, A rogue's
cunning is bo1ndless, 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 stroye with
all his power to tear it from, the ground
Ilfelt it bend and, crack, My heart sank
within me. The roots were relaxing their
hold upon the earth. Climbing among the
branches, jendeavoring to get to the. next
tree, 1 missed my footing, and fell, Just
then the roots gave way, and the tree
toppled over. % l-!J. s-.su4 Ja1.
L My time had come. T. The mammoth
beast, avoiding the falling branches, with
surprising agility, strided towards me.
Crack! crackI 1.-TWO Gshots werel fired.
My adversary paused in bewilderment,
raised his, trunk, gave a.shriek of rage, and
dropped to the ground with deep moan.
"Wen, welL old boy! You were as
near death that time as ever you were.
Had weo been moment later, that old
william would have tranp1ed you into a
ielly."if3 Q r1E H o sd EuFC1RV.5I
. II was Charley, who spoke, and I, in
meek submission, listened to his comic
reproaches for keeping all the SPORT as
he called my adventure, to myself
Youths Companion.