Morning journal and courier., 1888-11-26

ElePn3nts From Tent Life in Tiger-Land" by the Hon. James Inglis1
 "Run, run, Sahibs-rhe Tusker has gone must or mad. He has broken 1oose."
 We all started to our feet. George had just gone down to the bank of the river to | where the cooking was going on, which lay nearer the mad elephants picket. By this time she terror stricken servants were flying 1 in all directions. The huge brute, with inf nite cunning, had all along been making mighty efforts to wrench up the stake to which he was bound. This at last he had succeeded in doing. With the first desperate bound, or lunch forward, the heavy ankle chains, frayed and worn in one link, had snapped asunder; and with the huge stake trailing after him, he charged down on the camp with a shrill trumpeting scream of maddened excitement and savage fury. The I men with the spears waited not for the onset. One poor fellow bending over his pot of rice, trying to blow the srnoldering embers of Isis fire into flame, was seized by the long dexi- ble trunk of the infuriated brute, and had but time to utter the terrible death scream which had startled us ere his head was smashed like an egg shell on the powerful knee of the maddened monster. He next made a rush at the horses that, excited and
 
 straining at their ropes. and buried his long l blunt tusks in the quiveriug Hanks of one poor Oaboolee horse that had struggled in vain to get free. a All this was the work of moment Poor George, who was bending over some stewpaD, wherein was simmering some delieacy of his own concoction, was not aware of the sud- denly altered aspect of affairs till the huge towering bulk of r the elephant was almost over him. Another instant, and he would have shared the fate of the hapless mahout had he not, with admirable presence of mind delivered the hissing hot stew, with quick dexte1ity and precision, full in the gaping mouth of the furious brute. His next sen sation, however, was that of flying through \ the air, as the brute, with one swing of it's mighty trunk propelled him on his aerial ! flight, and he fell souse in the middle of the I stream, with the saucepan still tightly clutched in his hand.
 | Over the river we could see the internal ! brute, who had thus scattered us, in 8 per l feet frenzy of rsgea tkneeling on the shape 1 less heap of cloth, rfaEniture, poles and ropes; and digging his tusksa with savage ! fury inte the hangings and canvas, in the | very abandonment of mad, uncomfortable rage. We had little doubt but that poor | Mac lay crushed to death, smothered be- ! heath the weight of the ponderous animal, \ or mangled out of all likeness to humanity l by the terrible tusks that we could see fash | ing in the clear moonlight. It seemed an \ age, this agony of suspense. We held our breaths and dared not look into each others faces. Everything showed as clear as if 1t l had been day. We saw the elephant tossing the strong canvas canopy about as dog | would worry a door-mat. Thrust after ! thrust WAS made by the tusks into the folds of cloth. Raising his huge trunk, the brute
 would scream in the very frenzy of his l wrath, and at last, after what seemed an age ! hnk ;eh in, iI, hr4% fox 1 minutes, he staggered to his feet (for all this
 time he had been kneeling) shook his massive l bulk, looked fercely and de6antiY around
 made as if he would have marched straight through the dining-tent. where the snowy cloth glistened white under the tent lamps
 then, with 8 parting shrill trumpetine scream of concentrated wrath and malice
 some fresh idea seemed to enter his dement, ed brain, and he rushed into the jungle.
 Just then a smothered groan struck like | the peal of joy bells on our anxious ears, an6 | muffied voice from beneath the folds of tho shamiana in Macs well known tones groanet
 out, "Look alive, you fellows, and get m
 out of this, or I'll be smothered"
 In trying to get out of the way of the frs rush of the elephant his foot had caught il
 one of the tent ropes, and the whole falling
 canopy had then come bodily upon him
 hurling the camp table and few cane chair
 over him. Under these he had lain, able tt
 breathe, but not daring to stir, while tn
 savage beast had behaved as has been de
 scribed. His escape had been miraculous
 The cloth had several times been pressed s
 close over his face nearly to stide him
 The brute in one of it's savage, purposeles
 thrusts, had pierced the ground between hi
 arms and his ribs, pinning his Afghan chogi
 or dressing gown deep in the earth; and h.
 said he felt himself sinking into unoon
 seriousness, what with tension of nerve ant
 brain and standardization together. whel
 the brute had happily got up and rushed off
 'tHow did you feela" asked.
 fsWell, I can hardly tell you. Wheneve
 I recognized that the brute was on me fel
 at once that my only chance of safety was t.
 lie perfectly still. Once or twice the oppres
 sion on my face from the pressure of tn
 heavy canvas was almost suffocating, ant
 when the huge tusk buried itself in the eartl
 close to my side could scarcely refrain iron
 calling ont"
 ''It must have grazed your ribsi''
 ''It did. After that seemed to turn quit
 unooncerned. All sorts of funny ideas cam
 dropping across my brain. couldn't for tn
 life of me help feeling cautiously about fe
 my pipe, which had dropped somewher
 near when tripped on the ropes. I seemed
 too to have quick review of all the action
 had ever done, and was just dropping of
 into dreamy unconseiousness, after pulling
 desperate race against Oxford with my olC
 crew, when your voices reused me to sensa
 tion once more."