The Cecil Whig., 1885-11-14

I'''N
where they were aud take their chance.
In another minute the monstrous
beasts were crushing and jostling around
the entrance of the inclosure, but there
they halted for a moment, as if suspect
ing mischief. Suddenly cne of the larg-
est elephants darted forward, snorting
loudly, and plunged through the narrow
gap into the corral. Instantly followed by
all the rest.
''rhat's one of the decoys, - said Mr..
t, laughing in spite Of his dangerous
position. It's wonderful how these
bGutes, when once they're caught and
tanned, seem to enjoy getting their com
rades into the same scrape. Hello. here
comes Wongsi."
AS he spoke, the Siamese hunters
bony figure came flying up the ladder
like wildcat, while at the same mo
ment an uproar arose without, to which
all the former dir was nothing.
aha" cried Mr.. T, "the entrance
to the corral has closed, and our friends
with the long trunks are b, ginning to
lind out that they're in a fix. Keep
down, man, keep down"
And sprirging forward, he dragged the
Englishman away by main force from
the opening at which he had rashly
shown himself.
But the mischief was already done.
The moment the elephants saw that
there were men III the hut they c.me
rushing around it with lifted trunks, ut
tering cries of fury that were terrible to
hear. The opposition offered by the
supporting piles seemed only to increase
their rage, and they dashed against them
with force that made c"ery timber
crack.
"ITum" ruttered Mr.. X, shaking
his head :neaningll; this is IA. her more
than bargairei for"
And now Tie siege began in deadly
earnest. At every shock Of those living
batteriug rams the whole hut trcmbled
like leaf, and had not the slantii g out
wand Of the posts saved them from the
flce of the attack, all would soon have
been over with the three unarmed men
above. Night had come on (as in all
tropica! count rieS) the moment the sun
sank, and in the darkness the ceaseless
thud-thud Of those tremendous strokes
sounded like Death knocking for en-
trance.
Suddcniya a fearful crash was heard be-
low, followed bya cracking and splinter
ing of wood under their very feet
"Thay'vc knocked down one of the
posts" growled Mr.. t, "and now
they'll get in and smash all the rest
We're done for
But Wongsi. springing to his feet, tore
three large splinters from the moulder-
ing rafters overhead. saying, hastily:
"lIave you a match -
The American, guessing Lis plan, han
ded him one in silence In moment
the three torches We're lighted, and
Wongsi steadily descended TIE ladder
the two white men following with
clinched teeth and throbbilig hearts
y fearful thir g it seemed to venture
among those maddened monsters, but
the mighty creatures that wnuli have
faced IA loaded cannon uutinchingly, re-
coilcd from the dreaded fire, and the
three men went steadily forward. The
at that u WI i1i baynni
description. The grim figu!e of the Sia-
mese hunter, with It's gaunt limbs and
glinning teeth thrown out by the red
glare of the tirebrands, looked quite un-
earthly, while the huge white tusks, and
writhing trunks, and glaring eyes, and
vast black bodies starting out of the
surrounding darkness seemed like the
phantoms of a troubled dream.
Fvct by foot they fought their way to
the palisade, where Wongsi pointed out
gap between two of the posts barely
wide enough for a man body. But mar
row though it was, they went through it
as nimbly as a ciIcus-lider Though a
hoop. \ few minutes more brought
them to the boat, which her crew (ac-
tive enough when it was too late, in true
Siamese fashi"n) had by this time laid
alongside the bank. But not until they
we've fairly aboard and flying down the
stream toward Ayuthia could the heroes
of this hair breadth escape really believe
themselves safe at last