Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-01-31

No pleasures he went on. "But,
what could do, way ont yere on claim,
with no money to buy noth'n' with
An now, when l managed to scrape
spare money enough together SOS 70
Wal, he's a-gittin' worse-an' oh,
he'll never see the ole elephant, I'm
afeard."
There was stir among the cowboys,
and as old Slade looked cautiously in al
the window, the first rays OF the rising
sun sent the shadow of his shaggy head
half way across the room.
Very soon after, the bright rays shone
full in the faces Of the group of cow
boys, as the cayuses bounded across the
prairie towards the point where the sec
tion-road wound into the strip of timber
that fringed Buzzard Creek. No one
had suggested the movement, but all
had started as if moved by a common
impulse, though, to be exact. Scotty, the
rades. OF running out" the granger
nothing was said.
prayed for him to live to see the ole
elephant = muttered Scotty.
oval, said old Slade, earnestly, eff
he lives half an hour an we have luck,
blamed If he don't SEE"
THAT'S what p broke in some one.
"Mebby we KANT" began an
other.
"Mebby we KIM" interrupted Slade.
firmly.
"But elephants is mighty"
'No difference. We're able fer him,
/ reckon, an'-an' the sick boy never
seed elephant"
Neither had several OF the cowboys,
except the glimpse they had caught of
a broad back in the far-off procession.
But If the Munchausen tales they had
heard OF the huge beasts strength and
ferocity caused them to feel any appre-
hension, they gave no sign of such mis-
giving, as the cayuses continued to kick
the distance behind their flying feet
The advance of the circus toward the
cattle country had not all been attended
by good fortune, but as the armed cow
boys dashed up, the manager feared that
he was about to sustain his browning
The tales he had heard of
their reckless disregard for the persons
and property of rangers were fnlly as
as those the cowboys
had heard of the elephant. The weapons
drawn, as the manager felt sure, to
slaughter any opposers, were but as pro-
Fective measures against the anticipated
charge OF the elephant. The managers
fears seemed realized as there was q
nervous rush upon the part OF the cow
boys which hurried the elephant, driver
md all out of the procession. Perhaps
4 he had beheld the bank bill that found
is way into the ready hand of the ele-
Dhant driver, he would not have won
Tered at the very slight resistance OF the
after.
When he had recovered from the as
into which he had been
brown by the summary proceedings, the
ew words spoken and the bank bills
Id Slade dropped ms he hurried past,
he old elephant was numbering rapidly
way in the midst Of the frighte ned and
cayuses.
The turtle-dove flew from the piece of
fence as the elephant and his captors
Iurried up TO the shack. The grass
nuffied the foot falls Of the animals.
The granger was still ON his knees,
nth his face buried in the quilt OF the
oor bed, and the morning breeze that
AIMED the sick child's face and huttered
he pictured bill ON the wall ruflled the
nruly tufts of his hair till it felt like
be touch Of baby fingers.
The little face was less flushed now,
nd the gasping feebler. The child's |
i'm thoughts wandered still more, and |
is eyes could hardly see the futtering |
i'll. "Pappy," the weak voice whis-
cred. twill the ole elephant ever
omel"
A great bulk barred the sunlight from
le little window, and the long, snaky
INK glided in, and the finger-hke pro-
lberance at the end very softly clasped
ne sick child's hand.
ooh, pappyl pappy! The ole Gle
as comet
The bowed head OF the granger was
used. The child had started half up
ght and the little hands were clasping
10 caressing trunk of the old elephant.
Then, before the granger could give
Tpression to establishment, the clinging
ands relaxed, and the old elephants
Junk eased the child's weight softly
ack to the pillow again.
And the turtle-dove that had returned
} the piece of fence uttered her mourn
II COO.
When the elephant went away, the
ranger was kneeling beside his bed, and
4 the pillow near the still face lay the
ank-bill that had been given to old
eros driver, and beside it were other
ank- bills.
AS the little cavalcade iourneyed back
wards the place where the section-road
ound into the Buzzard Greek timber,
d Slade said ''1m agin this runnin'-
1T business p
"And me, too I" answered every cow
~ of tie group, and the subject was
ropped.
In the audience at the circus, that Of
rnoon, was little squad of broad-hat-
d and beweaponed cowboys, who sur
-ised their neighbors by being on their
BOD behavior during the entire perform
ice. Only once did they applaud With
lything like cowboy boisterousness,
I'd that was when the children laughed
I'd clapped their hands as the old ele-