Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1876-02-11

um12

DAY, FEBRUAR
A Mad Elephant.
Ie 1t is well.known fact, that very fr
" |quently elephants become mad. even in
4 tame state. and they then become mt
n uninanageablc. Occasionally they e
loose AMI range the jungles. carrying dea
+. and obstruction everywhere, destroyir
i men and g. imals with equal tcroclty. tea
i ing up huge ancestral trees il the w
forest-their own comrades Of the jung
/. fearing and 'epelIing their approach.
One of this genus very nearly termina
ed my sublu"ary career about three yeal
|agO. l MAS III united o an elephant, SET
by the Rajnh of NAHUM. as particula
) mark of respect This animal, after var
Gus playful p'anks at the very Cn tset O
the march. incontinently left the road q
the second mile, careercd away in the d.
rec,iOn of wilderness of forest trees. b
mahout driver had no power over tn
unwieldy brute. aud vai'ly dug deep in
to his head the sharp pointed iron instru
ment. the only weapon used to guide thcs'
monstrous animals. Faster and iaster W,
vent. while terror tied my lips-whicl
was more than could be said of my nativ.
Abigail, who was serted beside me, or OF
the driver p Ich. on the n CT Of the run
away brute. How they wept aud scream
led, as if tears or yells could avail; aad it
death must come. how much better IL
meet it with q calm ard unlaunied front
However. in the emergency, l spared
my lectures, and contcnted myself with
|despisi"g the tlmidiIy displayed. Faster
and faster we went! was forced to hoft,
on "lske grim DEATH" or the r"pid motion
would have swept .ne from the padded
cushion on which l was pcrched. We
eamr at length to nullah, or dry ravine,
with abrupt and precipitous sides. Me-
thought, This must stop our mad career
But no; not bit of it: MY sable Abigail
rolled off. liAe bundle of clothes, just as
we reached the bottom of the ullals and
her forced exit was followed by that Of all
my effects. such rs pillows. parcels. etc.
had hardly time to remark her release
before We were up the other eide of the
rsvine, and away, away TO the forest.
Now will .,i....- - - - s~'~e''S " oe
admired by all lovers VI the pictuiesGe-
bu, place the most devoted OF the genus
in my helpless position. and. believe me.
he would not have had much leisure to-
gaze ON the wooded beauty" except to
utter rapid anatheibas on the said beautiful
trees tb pride Of the forest. Az we ap-
l dzu,eJ - myself death in all
its horrors my limbs torn asunder By
lhr spreading tres. or hanging BY my
long hair, the cherished pride of my
youth!
The mahout, meantime, was equally
alive 10 tie perils Of his situa'io" and, to|
my horror, obs, rved him preparing Gn
The m DIST of lis baby tears) IL Sip off the
elephant, and leave me to my tate. For
tl,. frs. time since the commencement Ut
our dangerous elcphantine g"llop, l open
I'd my lips in remonstrsnce ana wrath elO-
4ue"tly representing my helpless position ::
even il. the event Of the elephant com
,ng to his serses, how could guide him
b X t. the road? Tie gallant Oriental
youth was rea " with philosophical re-
ply 10 my earnest remOnstr"ncc, far from
t" me At the time.
.'lour lii. is gone. and why should l
.acr,fict miney' and he was gone. and l
vas left alone in m, helplessness
My favorte dog was with lie, and re-
v, ved to save the life Of my pet, if mine
were really to be 50 sacrificed; SO looked
,ut deliberately for a favorable sp",, Anu
.hr. W my faithful little companion a.
.oftly down as our rapid motion allow d.
fei, pang OF sorrow when saw III
,rx,r creature remain mot Onless us long
8 could see II but the extreme dam
ger ot my own position s'On recalled
my thoughts to more selfish c'ns'deTa
ions. and / shuddered to cont. mpla' e
NV own eel tain doom if remained on the
much 10. ger. A few minutes,
and we should haye entered that dense
Jungle, now so terribly near. where l knew
4 terrible death awaited me-to be. pr
ch nee, torn limb from limb, and tramp.
led 10 death at last by tie lnfuriated beast.
So wildly careering 0" to my destruction.
I'VE neal'd the wild wood-'twas SO wide
I saw no bounds on either side;
Twas studded with old. sturdy trees,
That bent not 10 the roughest breeze.
A few seconds, sn0 it would be too late
10 choose my ate! With desperate reso
luton. jumped from my elevated seat
to the ground, just before we reached the
fatal forest. How ! managed 1t | cannot
veil explain, but fortunately l never lost
my presence of mind; for ! remember
that Just as l was about to take that terri
BILE leap. rs observing that my foot had
caught In loop of the rope gear, very
calmly Jisenta' gled 1t with one hand.
while held on with the other. Had l
BEEN durried, and jumped when my foot
was thus held captive, most dreadful
would have been my end. ss must have
been dragged along the ground head fore
most, my foot being imprisoned above,
and thus have met cruel and ag0nizing
death. A. II Was, reached the gr0uDd iu
ssfe.y: ami though the shock of The fall
from such great height stunned me fol
two or three hours, . msreitul Providence