The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-12-27
AN ANGRY ELEPHANT.


GEO. X. DAVIS.
AN ANGRY ELEPHANT.
A STORY TOLD BY JAMES lNGllS IN
TENT LIFE IN TIGER LAND"
Breaking victim's Skull on His Knee.
Hurled Into River with Stew Pan In
Misunderstanding Into tho Jungle-sensa-
lions Of sufYocation.
"Tent Life in Tiger Land" by the Hon.
James Inglis, is the best book of hunting
adventure we have seen for many long
day. Imagine Allan Quatermain in real
life, and you have Mr.. Inglis. His
stories Of what he and his friends actu-
ally did in the jungles of an Indian from
tier district Guido in graphic power and
exciting adventure anything that Mr..
Rider Eaggard has imagined. Mr.. In
glis is a trifle prolix, but his pages will
simply be devoured by boys, and read
with eager interest by children of a
larger growth. The story of the hunter
impaled on the horns of buffalo bull
and carried about for days until the rot
ting flesh dropped maggot eaten from
the bulls horns is one of the most grew
some horrors ever printed in the English
language.
Here is sample of one Of Mr. Inglis'
stories describing the escape Of one of the
authors friends from the attack of a
must elephant:
run, run, sahibs-the tusker has
gone must or mad. He has broken
loose"
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 the terror stricken.
servants were flying in all directions.
The huge brute, with infinite cunning,
had all along been making mighty efforts
to wrench up the stake to which he was
bound. This at last he succeeded in
doing. With the first desperate bound,
or lurch forward, the heavy ankle
chains, frayed and worn in one link, had
snapped asunder; and with the huge
stake trailing behind him he charged
down on the camp with shrill trumpet
ing scream of maddened excitement
and savage fury. The men with the
spears waited not for the onset.
THE DESTROYER AT WORK.
One poor fellow, bending over his pot
of rice trying to blow the smoldering
embers of his fire into a flame, was seized
by the long flexible trunk Of the infuri-
ated 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 mad
dened monster. He next made rush
at the horses, that, excited and fright
ened by the clamor around them, were
straining at their ropes, and buried his
long blunt tusks in the quivering TANKS
of one poor Caboolee horse that had
struggled in vain to get free.
All this was the work of a moment.
Poor George, who was bending over some
stewpan, wherein was simmering some
delicacy of his own connection, was not
aware of the suddenly altered aspect Of
affairs till the huge towering bulk Of 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, deliv-
cred the kissing hot stew, with quick
dexterity and precision, full in the gap
ing mouth of the furious brute. His
next sensation, however, was that of fly
ing through the air, as the brute with
one swing of its mighty trunk, propelled
him on his aerial flight, and he fell souse
in the middle of the stream, with the
saucepan stin tightly clutchS LII his
hand.
Over the river we could see the infer
nal brute who had thus scattered us in
perfect frenzy of rage, kneeling on the
shapeless heap Of cloth, furniture, poles
and ropes, and digging his tusks with
savage fury into the hangings and can
vas in the abandonment of mad, uncon-
trollable rage. We had little doubt but
that poor Mac lay crushed to death,
smothered beneath the weight of the
ponderous animal, or mangled out of all
likeness to humanity by the terrible
tusks that we could see flashing in the
clear moonlight. 1t seemed an age, this
agony of suspense. We held our breaths,
and dared not look into each others face.
Everything showed as clear as if it had
been day. We saw the elephant tossing
the strong canvas canopy about as dog
would worry door mat. Thrust after
thurst was made by the tusks into the
folds of cloth. Raising his huge trunk,
the brute would scream in the frenzy of
his wrath, and at last, after what seemed
an age to us, but which in reality was
but a few minutes, he staggered to his
feet and rushed into the jungle.
IN A VERY TIGHT PLACE.
Just then smothered groan struck
like the peal Of Joy bells on our anxious
ears and muffied voice from beneath
the folds of the shamiana in Macs well
known tones groaned out: Look alive.
you fellows, and get me out of this or
I'll be smothered."
In trying to get out Of the way of the
first rush Of the elephant his foot had
caught in one Of the tent ropes, and the
whole falling canopy had then come
bodily upon him, hurting the camp table
and few cane chairs over him. Under
these he had lain, able to breathe, but
not daring to stir, while the savage beast
had behaved as has been described. His
escape had been miraculous. The cloth
had several times been pressed SO close
over his face as nearly to stifie him. The
brute in one Of its savage, purposeless
thrusts had pierced the ground between
his arms and his ribs, pinning his Afghan
choga or dressing gown deep into the
earth; and he said he felt himself sink.
ing into unconsciousness, what with ten
sion of nerve and brain and semi-suffoca-
ton together, when the brute had hap
PLY got up and rushed off.
"How did you feelT' ! asked.
"Well, can hardly tell YOU"
''It must have grazed your ribs"
sit did. After that l seemed to turn
quite unconcerned. All sorts of funny
ideas came trooping across my brain. I
couldn't for the life of me help feeling
cautiously about for my pipe, which had
dropped somewhere near when l tripped
on the ropes. l seemed, too, to have
quick review of all the actions | had
ever done, and was just dropping off into
a dreamy Inconsistencies, after pulling
a desperate race against Oxford with my
old crew, when your voices reused me to
sensation once more."-Pall Mall Ca
zette.
Never to Go Again.
A fact in relation to the death of
not generally known. NAV