Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-04-03
The Work of a Mouse.

The performances at museum on Full
ton street on "Wednesday night was
over, the audience had departed, and
nothing broke the stiffness Of the place
but the hollow tread of the night watch
man on his rounds and the irregular
breathing of many animsls. The three
legged dog, eurled up in a corner Of his
apartment, INDUCED In srasmodic
dreams of another leg. The sacred bull
thought complacently Of his hump and
made no noise. The tailless bsboon
gazed longingly, but silently, on
neighboring monkeys appendsge, aud
the surly elephant allowed the end OF
his smiling trunk Ia wander noiselessly
over the floor In front of him. Sudden
ly from around the corner of the box
where the sacred" mice are kept, there
peeped a little white inquisitivc face.
The face was surmounted by little pink
eyes. Ii was soon followed by little
body which by slow degrees appeared
from around the corner, and the little
'gsay aunt white, timid and frightened
mouse stood revealed. A slight noise
startled il, aud with whisk Of Its tail
il disappeared. The fright over, back
il came, slowly and timidly, and ven-
tured n little way ont on the floor. Un-
fortunately IL wandered too near the
lazy elephants moving proboscis.
Creeping slowly along, the little animal
suddenly encountered this smiling
trunk, and its little sense was all gone
In trice. The little mouse was 50
scared that IL didn't know what to do,
but seeing the open nostrils OF the ele-
plants trunk, Ii darIed into one with
the rapidity of lightning.
With roar that shook the building
aud drove all thoughts of repo,e from
the minds Of the other animals, the eie-
phant threw his trunk high In ihe.air
aud waved it wildly 10 aud iro. cu''t-
uug all the while ,he m",l ,'rsol" O'i-
lowing. he animals imu rdla'i! lost
all presence oi mint, aud the rouiuS,
now ling. aud screaming bee nr ."'nc-
thing terrific. The upruu .e., ~
10 the soul III The Wa acn3Iap, ...
uls big NtWfuuullHud as,-4D
ui another ,art ot tur uaiI.U>
lurc. ut l.pseu,o iOns, ,. .ui"
tigcrs, Huu Ul bloody a"u 80
umUs foal,i before his bor,Ii,"d iHb1e-
Ina,iuI, bd win the determine I"- Ul
a mirtyr lac whislied to hi- ttu-,! -
ana marched boldly To the demor.i'z-d a
museum. Finding AT a glance. no ning
more formidable than un iuIuria.eu bu.
.,cIrel! chained elephant 10 encounter,
tue waIchrnan pursued hih way Win
more cheerful heart. But his dog,
quicker than himself, was brlor, h M.
lhc brave brute made n fush for the cl-
ephaut and grabbed at one Of his legs.
Just then the Imprisoned mouse was
dropped to the floor, and scudded for its
formerly despised home aud there rest
ed, eminenIly satisfied with the seeds Of
discord IL had sown. But tie elephant
wa, not to be appeased, and turned It's
attention to the dog, which was indus
triously, but fruitlessly, biting at his
legs. The elephant caught him around
the body with It's trunk, aud, after wav-
ing him for u few seconds, slammed him
violently against the opposite wall.
Stunned for moment, but undismayed,
Nero-the dog, staggered about aud
then renewed his attempts to disable bis
big antagonist. The latter was only too
willing to keep up the fray, and, TO an
accompaniment OF ear-splitting yells,
howls and roars, II seized the dog, beat
him Oh the floor, and when Nero WIS
anxious TO call IL quits and stop, calmly
stepped on him with both fore feet and
held him there. Nero screamed with
pain, the wstchmsn prodded the ele-
phant with goad, but 1t stubbornly
held the dog, bearing all the weight OF
his immense body heavily on bis pros-
trate form. The dogs cries grew weaker
and weaker, and the watcbman's prods
grew harder and harder. The proprie-
tor himself appeared on the scene with
a red-hot poker and prodded the obsti-
nate animals legs with It. The elephant
gave up the contest aud the dog was ex :
tricated, but he lay still rs stone, and
was dead Brooklyn IN. ~ Times.