The National tribune., 1882-12-14

stands, whatever he does, the great elephant
always keeps his eye on the Signor Keeper
esquire, when / heard that, it made nv
blood run cold, for its a certain warning to any
man who Is employed about an elephant. And
to think | had been that blind!
The next night, the show being over,
happened to cross the shed alongside of Jug
/ gernaut, with a bouquet Of yellow roses in my
| hand. A lady had sent them to me while the
! elephant was on. He had been quiet and tract
able all day. | faced him. however, as l passed
his head. He put out his trunk for the roses.
He often made the motion, of course. for any
thing he fancied. Says I, No, sir, you can't
have these and moved to the left. He simply
swung round his head with a scream. jug
gernaut?' said l. dartng backward. He caught
me as if had been mouse. After he'd thrown
me, | managed to roll out from under the shed
into the stable-yard just missed his charge
but was bleeding from where I struck, and
badly bruised. Lucky was it that 1 got of so
quick
" I didn't need to recollect Whistlers advice.
knew my business, of course by this date. In
the morning saw Mr.. Day, and threw up my
position. All they said to me went right out
of the other ear 1t was life and death for me
to be away from or with that elephant an hour
longer Twenty pounds, twenty-five, thirty,
forty. ] laughed in Mr.. Cutts's face Finally
Mr.. Day says to me, almost with tears in his
eyes,
60 Mr.. Junket, if you'll only consent to re-
main this week out, till can get a man l know
of at Rome, I'll give you sixty pounds, the ele-
phant to perform only twice in the four even
ings.'
"'I IIr. Day says l. after q minute, I'm not
taking my life in my hands for your money,
but I'll stay till your man from Rome comes, to
obIige you and Mr.. Cults
Squire, I wouldn't live that week over for
sixty thousand pounds. Think of spending
hour after hour Of it with the treacherousest,
cunningest, cruelest monster, sly as a snake,
and busy every minute with watching to catch
YOU off your guard to kill you. Once on the
third day he suikcd, and a while after caught
him designing to squeeze me against the side
wall. | brought in the undcr-keepers, and
proddcd and pounded him till ne roarcd from
pain, not rage, and was blood from end to end.
In the evening in spite of all of that, he dis
Obcycd me twice in the performance he
wouldn't kncel down or something. let il
pass until we left the ring. Then | had him
chained, and burned him in six places with
whitc-hot hawkuss.
"When | walked into his shed the next
morning, l looked straight up at his eyes.
'Good-morning, Juggernaut,' says I, quietly.
It's an actual fact Squire, that the beast quiv-
cred all over at the sound Of my voice, and then
down he gets, very slowly, on his knees"
u should think it very likely he might"
observed Squire Buckle, dryly.
"On Saturday." resumed Junket, "sure
enough, up comes the new keeper from Rome.
He was an Englishman, stranded there from
some other show, he said. Mr. Day Mr. Cults,
and | took him over to the sheds Suddenly he
gives a start, looks Juggernaut all over very
sharp and quick, turning a bit whitish. Then
he says to Mr.. Day: Very sorry, sir, but can't
take no situation here. 1 know this animal
was with him in Scotland four years back.
Somebody's changed his name, that's all He's
Sepoy, that used to be with D'Avenant 8; Co.
Scpoy Il say, SepOyn he calls out.
"WelI, Squire, it was actually a sight to see
Juggernaut as we'd called him. He stood
there, with his head up, his ears out, his little
eyes like two bits of hot copper. Know his old
name? I should say so! Likewise his old
keeper Look out says l to the other three;
he's getting up a nasty temper in a hurry
So they walked off, and l quieted Juggernaut
down, after a sort, directly. Ifthe keeper from
Rome had staid beside me, belive we'd have
had a murder or two on the spot. Juggernaut,
or Sepoy, had tried to kill him twice before, it
seems, and remembered it along with the old
TI,n ri 1nft
an hour after As for me- I hate to DO it, Mr.
Day says l, but 1 shall positively leave your
establishment tonight. The under-keepers
can easily feed Juggernaut, likewise manage
him in his shed. OF course, in case of danger,
you'll have to kill him; that's all The gen
tlemen felt rather put out about my going so;
but 1 got my sixty pounds, for all that.
"The steamer 1 wanted to take wasn't to sail
till the Friday following. l staid in lodgings,
and didn't go near Days Imperial Circus and
Menagarie. I heard that there weren't any
more elephant performances, though. On Fri
day there was u big float cabled to the quay
close by the Ravcnna steamer when got down
to it. Likewise was there a terrible big crowd,
and landing bridge from the float to the
quay.
What's up?' asked l OF somebody.
English elephant English elephant, says
every one, very civiIly. They are going to
send the great elephant from the circus of the
Signor Day over to Trieste
Gone has told me that he has nearly killed
a man yesterday puts in another italian.
The city authorities have obliged his leav
ing Venice to-day says a third.
"'Oho!' thinks l to myself; 4 see, see.
Sorry for Mr.. Day and Mr.. Cults but I suppose
they've had to give up. What could they do
III stop a minute and see the fun Bit as
well as get my last look at Mr.. Juggernaut.'
"The crowd kept thickening All of sud
den we heard shouts up the quay. Sure
enough, in minute along comes Juggernaut,
big as ever, four keepers conducting him, Mr..
Day and his brother walking few yards back,
Mr.. Cults and Brightwater the HOn-tamer, to
the left. Everybody quit chattering rs the
elephant came on. First he tried the bridge
with his foot, then he trumpeted and backed
Plenty strong the bridge was, but he didn't
fancy it. Twice more they got him to it but
cross it to the float? No, sir. They coaxed
and petted and scolded and prodded him.
"Now from where | stood l couldn't but re-
mark that every one of the four keepers seemed
afraid to death of the elephant. At length I
took note of another thing, he was loosing his
b,JI l..