San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-04-29

depth and power.
What are your
81 am an elephant tanner"
AN elephant-tamerv echoed the captain
with laugh. Would you like to try your
hand on this specimen
III the Sahib will permit" was the quiet
reply.
by all means"
Without word the Afghan frightened his
waistclOth and settled his tlIrban firmly on
his head. Then grasping his driying-hOOk
he stepped fearlessiy up to the elephant and
Selling it by one ear shouted, 'Kneel DOWN.
Instead of Immediately seiZing him with
its trunk, OF attempting to drive its tusks
through him. as all who saw it expected, the
elephant shrank from the Afghan as far as
it could, in evident fear. "Kneel down."
Numbered the Afghan again.
To the amaZement of the lOOkeTs-On, the
elephant slowly bent its knees and lowered
itself in a crOuching attitude But the low
rumbling noise il made, and the quick move
mcnt of its ears and fierce little eyes, show
ed that, though Overawed and startled its
savage nature was not subdued Selling the
trailing ends of the chain round its neck, the
Afghan made them fast. Then, TO the hOr-
rOr of all who were looking on, he deliberate
ly commenced to unfasten the chains by
which the elephant was tethered.
What are You doing? Let those chains
alOneT shouted Captain Eaton.
The Afghan took no notice of the order
by Allah, believe the man is nadr' ex-
claimed the old jemadar.
Gracious powers, the brute will be loose
in another momentr' calculated Captain Ea-
ton, hOrrOr-struck at the impending danger.
Stepping forward, he was about to seize the
Afghan, in order to drag him out of the
stable, when the elephant suddenly rose TO
his feet. 1t 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 yOur' Captain
Eaton darted out of the stable, and ran at
the top of his speed TO his bungalow, outside
the kheddah, to get his rifle in the hope Of
being able TO shoot the elephant before il did
any damage. Another moment, and the
huge beast was free As the last chain tell
from its leg, the Afghan sprang forward and
Selling the animal again by the ear, shouted
in stentOrian tones: "Kneel down. ineel
DOWN.
With muffled rumble, half of fear and
half of rage the elephant knelt for moment
Oh 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 strobe out of the stable into
the open yard with the Afghan on its back,
and with head erect, extended trunk, and
hery eyes, ready to do battle with all crea-
ton. Its first effort was to get rid of its
rider Standing i'm the Open with one leg
up-litted, it endeavOred to shake the Afghan
off. But 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 elephant stop
ped its efforts to shake him of, the Afghan
raised his drivng-hOOk, which he had never
let 60 and dealt some blows on Shaitan's
head. Confused and maddemed, Shaitan
turned round and round, squealng with rage
and fear.
Meanwhile, the whole khedrIah was in the
utmost confusion and the uprOar tremend-
Gus. All the elephant attendants had fled,
some outside the kheddah, and others into
the buildings in the yard, dragging their wives
and children with them; While the rest had
climbed on to the roofs of the sheds or on the
walls. The elephants tethered in the sheds,
excited by Shaitan'S furious believing, were
trumpeting Shrilly in response, and straining
heavily at their ropes and chains The
trembling elephant attendants, looking on
from places Of safety, expected every mo
ment to see some huge unSkrr break loose,
and what would happen then they knew only
too well-a battle-rOyal between it and Shat
tan.
Suddenly, with an ear-piercing trumpet,
Shaitan rushed across the yard to where,
tethered with two Others, stood sick ele-
phant quiet and liStleSs. With one blow
Shaitan knocked it down flat on its side. 1t
then lowered its head to drive ITS tuskS into
the PROSTATE elephant; but upon being chas-
tised by its rider the Afghan, it recOiled, and
again attempted, though unSuccessfully, to
shake him off. Another attempt to attack
the other elephants in the shed was frustrat-
ed by the Afghan in a similar way. All at
once, with head up, and ears cooked, and tail
stiff out behind, Shaitan turned and made
straight across the yard for the great gate of
the kheddah. BY Captain EatOn's order, the
gate had been shut and pOnderOus wooden
bars drawn across it. Seeing the elephant
coming, the men on the top of the walls and
sheds shouted, in order to try and turn it, 1t
went straight for it, however There was
shock, a loud crash, and the next
Shaitan was outside the kheddah,
and careering down the street into the town
with BuX Khan still on his back
A few seconds later, Captain Eaton ap-
peared running from his bungalow, carrying
his heavy rifle. A glance at the shattered
gateway showed him he was too late: but he
determined to follow the elephant and shoot
1t as soon as possible. Calling on couple of
his men to follow him, he set off in the di-
rectiOn the elephant had taken. He had no
occasion to ask the way; the crowds of eX-
cited natives that he met on the road showed
the sensation that Shaitan had created as he
passed. As Eaton neared the town, his anx-
ety lest he should be too late to shoot the ami
NAL before it had done some dreadful dam
age became intense. To his great relief,
however, he found that it had gone through
the whole length of the town without injur-
ing anything or anybody. In answer to his
inquiries, the natives told him that it was
going at full speed as it passed and that the
Afghan was still on its back. Captain Eaton
followed the elephant for several miles be-
yOnd the town, but without Overtaking 1t.
At length, he gave up the pursuit. and re-
turned to the kheddah, where he Immediate
y ordered several fleet elephants to be got
,eady, and sent them off in charge of num-
Der of steady picked men, whom he armed
with rifles, to look for the escaped elephant
He determined to follow them as soon as he
lad seen to the elephant that had been at
acked and thrown down by Shaitan, and
rad restored order in the kheddah.
About two hours later, while the captain
vas hard at work in the kheddah a mahOut
greatly excited, rushed in, eXclaiming: "Sa-
nib, Sahibl Shaitan is coming back, and that
mailman is still riding him."