The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-09-19

 standing behind him tall, gaunt Afghan, clad in dirty and tattered clothes, and carrying in his sinewy right hand heavy iron ankrus or elephant driving g-hook He was evidently an extremely powerful man, and his face was in keeping with his stature, for 1t was somewhat un- common one. He was very dark for an Afghan, and had huge hooked nose like tue beak of vulture. The expres- sion of his mouth, partially concealed by a flowing black moustache and beard, was hard and stern. Under his bushy eyebrows gleamed pair of dark, sunken eyes, painted round with henna, keen, fierce, and unfinching, like those of a wild beast. As Eaton glanced at him, he thought he had never seen so forbid den face.
 "Who are you?" he asked.
 am named Bux Khan am Kan dahari," replied the man in voice of singular depth and power.
 "What are youT
 am an elephant tanner"
 An elephant-tamer ' echoed the cap- tain with laugh. Would you like to try your and on this specimen p
 eff the Sahib will permit" was the quiet reply.
 By all means"
 Without word the Afghan frightened his waistcloth and settled his turban firmly on his head Then grasping his driving-hook he stepped fearlessly up to the elephant and selzing it by one ear shouted, "Kueel downp
 Instead of immediately seizing him with its trunk, or attempting to drive its tusks through him, as all who saw it ex- pected, the elephant shrank from the Af- ghan as far as it could, in evident fear '" Knee down thundered the Afghan again.
 To the amazement of the lookers.on, the elephant slowly bent its knees and lowered itself in a crouching attitude But the low rumbling noise it made, and the puck movement of its ears and fierce little eyes, showed that, though overawed and startled, it's savage nature was not subdued. Seizing the trailing ends of the chain round it's neck, the Afghan made them fast. Then, to the horror of all who were looking on, he deliberately com menced to unfasten the chains by which the elephant was tethered.
 "What are you doing2 Let those chains alone ]" shouted Captain Eaton.
 The Afghan took no notice of the order.
 " By Allah, believe the man is madl" exclaimed the old jemadar.
 Gracious powers, the brute will be loose in another moment!" ejaculated Captain E Elton, horror-struck at the inn pending danger. Stepping forward, he was about 10 seize the Afghan, in order to drag him out of the stable, when the elephant suddenly rose to his feet. It was too late. Its fore-legs and one hind- leg were free, and the Afghan was busy uncoupling the chain on its other leg. Shouting, Run, run all of you l" Cap tain Eaton darted out of the stable, and ran at the top of his speed to his bunga. low, outside the kheddah, to get his rife, in the hope of being able to shoot the elephant before it did any damage. An other moment, and the huge beast was free. As the last chain fell from its leg, the Afghan sprang forward, and seizing the animal again by the ear, shouted in stentorian tones: "Kueel down! kneel downl ["
 
 half of rage, the elep ant knelt for mo. ment on its hind knees. Leaping on to its bent leg, the Afghan clambered on to its back, and in another moment was firmly seated on its shoulders, with his legs securely twisted into the chain round its neck. A moment later, Shaitan strode out of the stable into the open yard with the Afghan on its back, and with head erect, extended trunk, and fiery eyes, ready to do battle with all creation. Its first effort was to get rid of its rider. Standing in the open, with one leg up- lifted, 1t endeavorcd to shake the Afghan of. Bat though his turban flew one way and his knife another, and his waistband was shaken loose, the Afghan kept his seat through the grip he had of the neck chain with his legs. The instant the ele- phant stopped its efforts to shake him of, the Afghan raised his driving-hook. which he had never let go, and dealt some blows on Shaitan's head. Confused and maddened, Shaitan turned round and round, sguealing with rage and fear.
 Meanwhile, the whole kheddah was in the utmost confusion, and the uproar tremendous. All the elephant attendants had fled, some outside the kheddah, aud others into the buildings in the yard, drag ging their wives and children with them while the rest had climbed on to the roofs of the sheds or on to the walls. The ele- plants tethered in the sheds, excited by Shalsan's furious believing, were trum- peting shrilly in response, and straining heavily at their ropes and chains. The trembling elephant attendants, looking on from places of safety, expected every moment to see some huge tusker break loose, and what would happen then they knew only too well--a battle-royal be- tween it and Shaitan.
 Suddenly, with an ear-piercing trum- pet, Shaitan rushed across the yard to where, tethered with two others, stood sick elephant, quiet and listless. With one blow Shaitan knocked it do VII fl at on its side. It then lowered its head to drive its tusks into the prostrate elephant; but upon being chastised by its rider, the AfUhau if rAroi1ad and oua;, at,~,-~s~l