Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-09-10

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Ing in ready to tear us out, and all the time
we had 10 keep sharp lookout for our RI
fes TO see that they did not get cooked or
fred oil as they shook round with us.
70 diversity matters the enraged BEAST
getting madden and madden, and more and
more risky, began to drag up small trees
and wave them round as one would fly
brush, dropping them with entire reckless
ness as to where they fell whenever she
saw another that struck her fancy. One oil
these little brushes ground Off the army
officers cap and sent me whizzing over up
on the breast of my esteemed friend, Sir
Richard, knocking all the wind out of him,
and the poor mahout, sitting out in front
with no protection, was almost capsized
every other minute. | saw him, in the in
tervals of the shaking up l was getting
myself, hanging desperately 10 one Of the
stumpy hairs that grow few and far be-
| tween on an elephants forehead, swinging
to and fro, but manfully prodding with his
stick and shouting Justify to the enraged
beast, who did not mind a word he said.
1t became evident that ho had no control
over her. Things began TO look serious.
| We were ut the mercy of the animal she
might ut any moment reach up her trunk,
and pull off the mahout or the howdad and
| grind us TO powder under her great feet.
The army officer took out his pistol. "Shall
we shoot her2" said he.
Sir Richard looked little blank in spite
of the cheerful air he had been Keeping up,
and said, in a suggestive tone: | have
sometimes known il TO take hundred and
iiily rifle balls to kill an elephant, and be-
| fore we could finish her she would go into
transports ofrage and kill us. I suppose"
he went into a tone of sublime patience,
"this is one of the fits of rage elephants Of
ten have, but they always get over them"
81 hope they do" said the officer with
the least touch Of irony in his voice.
"About how long do they lasl2"
Before Sir Richard could answer, the el
ephant, as mad as ever, Numbered down a
small raviuc full of mud and water at the
bottom, and stopped short so suddenly
that we were nearly shot out upon the ma
bout. Feeling that there was some COM
fort in her having stopped, we righted our
selves. Sir Richard began saying, "She is
! a little nervous to-day, but / have no
doubt" We were never to know what it
was he did not doubt for at that moment a
perfect cascade OF mud aud water came
raining in at the open sides of the howdah.
She was cooling her inflamed body by
pumping up the muddy water Though her
| trunk and pouring IL over hersef-and us.
II was slightly absurd TO see four human
beings possessed Of average common serse
sit quietly down and let a mad elephant
pump muddy water over them, and, ser-
Gus as the situation had been and still was,
| burst into shout of laughter which the
admiral could not help joining as he tried
to ram handkerchief down his coat collar
to keep whole waterfall out of bis rheu-
matte back. The two Englshmen wiped
their faces of and stared, and the army Of
ticer said, with grim attempt ofappearing
at ease, 1--WE really should have brought
umbrellas" Then we all roared, and at
that he elephant with a final pour over US
which was not even divided into drops,
rushed up the other bank through the
woods again, but only short distance this
time, took an abrupt turn and dashed into
a sugar cane field, soaring the natives who
were gathering the crop TO right and left.
Poor dear, she was hungry-and so were
we by this time. She lunched luxuriously
on the stalks, but never offered us one.
While she was cruncbing, the admiral put
his head out 10 see how far we were from
the ground, with view of trying leap.
"Don't think of it, said Sir Richard,
seeing what he was about, "you could not
calculate where you might strike, and it is
ten 10 one that she would turn and trample
you to death before you could get out of
her reach"
had been looking down at the AFTER
open ing, specializing whether l could shin
down her tail or not, and so get away, but
| drew in my head then and looked as IT.
had merely been casting a glance at the
weat her. l had no ambition to be flatlened
10 a wafer under her feet. / wished had
been at sea in bowl with the three wise
men Of G otham. The army officer looked
| at his knife with tender glance. We had
been out so long now, we were getting hun
| CRY, and it was aggIavating 10 hear the
| gentle ami NAL we rode eating with such en-
| joyment, though that, like everything else,
was done in anger, and she kept stopping
to snort and scream.
81 suppose" said he, "she is so ner-
vous it would not do to cut steak oil her
haunch," and then we sank into silence,
| glaring blankly at nothing, because polite
ness forbade us 10 quarrel with our host,
aud we could not blame each other for the
trouble we were in. Suddenly saw Sir
Richards face change entirely. II lost all
| look of hope and cheer, and settled into
utter desnair, "There is her calf he NUT