The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-07-15
A NIGHT ADVENTURE,

MAs ecno 'hrousn sleep divinely sweet:
a.. Good Words.
A NIGHT ADVENTURE.
When the menagerie with which I
was connected was exhibiting at Rol-
Inns, there was n fearful thunderstorm
er during the evening performance in
the ring. The noise of the thunder
quite drowned the clowns Jokes, and
the wind swelled and filed the big tent
until it seemed likely to burst. The
rain was all that saved it. The audi
ence, as well as the performers, nearly
all were wet.
We were announced to exhibit at
Cookson. seventeen niles from Rollins,
the next day. As Soon as the perform
ance and the shower were over, Mr..
Shorey, the agent, sent off the three
elephants, with their keeper. along the
wagon rosd to Cookson. Lutte Gamer
on, ore of the drivers, and myself fol-
lowed as sort of escort, in one of the
erArty vans, drawn by two horses.
The cages of animals and the circus
troupe were to 60 at two o'clock by
special train; for we were travelling
principally by rail that summer, though
the elephants, of course, went on foot
and were usually sent forward in the
night, when there was less danger of
meeting vehicles on the road.
Few OF the country people ever knew,
unless they chanced to see tracks in the
roads the next morning, that troop of
elephants had passed in the night, we
used to move SO quietly. But that
night it happened that we caused dis
turSance.
Tt v-ao cutie lo~l- 49, ,.o< 49,
very well for q mile or two. Old Zeno-
bia went ahead with Hockey, the keep
er, who had lantern and walked BE-
side her. He held a little dog-chain
that was placed round her left tusk Just
above the brass knob, to guide her by.
After her came Ptolemy, and behind
him the young elephant. Demetrius.
Lutte and brought up the rear, in the
van.
1t was on o country road, with only
here and there q house. As we were
trudging past vegetable garden that
was near one of these farm-houses,
Ptolemy smelt watermelons, and he
ambled up to the garden-wall, where
there was a row of hop-poles.
Ptolemy was particularly fond OF
watermelons, and so sure as he smell
them, he invariably stopped and we
were troubled to get him away, and the
noise and wake up the people,
Hockey came back to where he stood
and coaxed him; but there the elephant
remained, grunting for the melons,
with his trunk thrust out over the wall.
At last Lutte got over into the garden
and brought out six of the melons. We
gave Ptolemy three of them, one to ole
Zen and another to Demetrius, ant
saved one to lure Ptolemy back into the
road with.
While Hockey and 1 were coaxins
him back with this melon, Lutte wen
and pinned q dollar bill to the door o.
the house to pay for the melons.
We soon got our big lover of melon!
into the road again, but just as wa.
about to give him the melon, little
DeIuetrius reached out his trunk in the
dark and captured it. Before he coult
break it, the melon dropped to the
ground, and in the scuffle that fol
lowed, the animals trod on it. Tha
made Ptolemy angry and rough in hi.
treatment of Demetrius, and Hockey
getting out of patience, gave them botl
two or three blows with his iron rod.
He now put the chain on Ptolemy anG
marched him ahead. In this way W,
moved on for about mile further, bu
l knew Tol was angry from the way HI
kept shaking his ears. Then we cam,
upon a cow, lying, chewing her cud, al
most in the wheel-track.
Hockey did not notice her and Ptole
my gave no sign that he saw her til
just as he was on the point of knockin,
bis feet against her. The COW had prob
ably been half asleep. but she wa
frightened, and jumped up with a loud
strange "blart."
Ptolemy, already in bad humor, didn'
like that. Hockey said, afterward, tina
it was probably the odor of the cow
breath that offended him. As the Gov
jumped to her feet, he caught her witt
his trunk and threw her out of the road
We heard the poor creature go rollin,
over in the ditch.
The below and noise caused bull il
barn-yard near by to begin to roar il
deep bass. Hearing this our elephan
turned to rush into the barn-yard, an,
was only prevented by more blows witt
the rod.
At length we got the animal starte,
again, though he was in worse humor
i think, however, there would hav
oCSu uO Aui lhCI ttOuOlC II, Ou SOiHS vi
we lad found the road unobstructed
But we had not gone a hundred rod
when we heard q wagon coming towar'
US, driven at a very rapid rate, ant
above the rattle of the wheels rose tn
voices of two or three young fellows
singing and whooping.
Hockey swung his lantern and shout
ed, "Turn out Turn out ~
The fellows apparently neither saw o
heard anything but their own noise
The road was rather narrow and Lut
reined our van nearly into the ditch
Then, jumping out, / tried TO get oil
Zen and Demetrius out of the whee
track.
Hockey had to jump nimbly out @
tho road himself. In passing, the mig
hub of their fore-wheel grazed violentl
against Ptolemy's leg. and no doub
hurt him. He wheeled and struck q
them; and, fast as they were driving,
seemed to me that he came within
hands breadth of their heads with hi
trunk.
Hurrawr' they shouted, what
here?"
Until then they had not seen us.
Lutte gave their horse a cut with hi
whip, to get them out of the way; bu
none too quickly, for Ptolemy mad
another lunge for them. and would hav
seized them if the other elephants ha
not stood in his way.
Hockey, running around from tn
other side, headed him off; and thi
time he did not spare the rod.
Ptolemy no doubt felt himself abuse
that night beyond endurance. II
wheeled about, gave an angry "toot,
and went shuffling along the road at
great rate
"Haltr' Hockey commanded hiI
several times. ..- -.
But Ptolemy would not stop: an