The Red Cloud chief., 1889-02-15

movement, but all had started - II
moved by q common impulse. though.
to be exact, Scotty. the impatient. was
q little ahead OF his comrades OF
running out" the granger nothing
was said.
prayed fer him to live to see the
ole elephant" muttered Scotty.
WAL" said old S!ale. earnestly.
''if he lives half an hour. an VIC have
luck. blamed if he don't sec"
That's what" broke in some ore
"Mebby We KANT" began another.
"Mebby we kim interrupted Slade.
firmly.
But elephants is mighty"
mo difference, We're able fer him.
l reckon, an'-an' the sick boy never
seed a elephant
The advance OF the circus towards
the cattle country had not all been at
tended by good fortune. but. as the
armed cowboys dashed up. the mana
ger feared he wa about to sustain his
browning misfortune. The tales he
had heard of their reckless disregard
for the persons and property Of
strangers were fully as Munchausen-
like as those the cowboys had heard OF
the elephant. The weapons drawn. as
the manager felt sure, to slaughter
any Opposers. were but as protective
measures against the anticipated
charge of the elephant. The mana
gers fears seemed realized as there
was a nervous rush upon the part OF
the cowboys which hurried the ele-
plant, driver and all out OF tho pro-
cession. Perhaps. il he had beheld tho
bank-bill that found its way into the
ready hand of the elcphant-driver. no
would not have wondered ut the slight
resistance OF the latter.
When he had recovered from tho
establishment into which he had been
thrown by the summary proceedings,
the few words spoken. and the bank
bills old Slade dropped as he hurried
past, the old elephant was numbering
rapidly away in the midst OF the
frightened and ilouncing cayuses
The tu%rtle-dOve few from the piece
OF a fence rs the elephant and his cap
tors hurried up to the shack. The
grass mufied the footballs of the ami
mails.
The granger was still on his knees,
with his face buried in the quilt Of the
poor bed, and the morning breeze
that famed the sick child's face and
fiuttered the pictured bill on tho wall
rufied the unruly tufts OF his hair till
it felt like the touch of baby fingers.
The little face was less flushed now,
and the gasping fecbler. The child's
dim thoughts wandered still more. and
his dim eyes could hardly see the fiut-
tering bill. "Pappy," the weak voice
whispered, "will the ole elephant y
Gomez"
A great bulk barred the sunlight
from the little window, and the long.
snaky trunk glided in, and the finger
like protuberance at the end very
softly clasped the sick child's hand.
"Oh. pappy!-pappy! Tho ole elc-
plant has comet"
The bowed head of the granger was
raised. The child had started half
upright. and the little hands were
clasping the carcssing trunk Of the old
elephant.
Then, before the granger could give
expression to establishment. the cling
ing hands relaxed. and the old ele-
plants trunk eased the child's weight
softly back to the pillow again.
And the turtle-dOvc that had re-
turned to the piece OF Il fence uttered
her mournful coo
When the elephant went away, the
granger was kncelins beside his dead.
and on the pillow near the still face
lay the bank bill that had been given
to old Nero's driver. and beside it
were other bank-bills.
As the little cavalcade jOurncyed
back towards the place where the sec
tiOn-rOad wound into the Buzzard
creek timber. old Slade said: I'm
agin this runnin'-out business"
"And me. tOO!' answered every
cowboy Of the group. and the subject
was dropped.
In the audience nc the circus. that
afternoon. was a little squad Of broad.
hated and bewcaponed cowboys, who
surprised the neighbors by being on
their good behavior during the entire
performance. Only once did they ap- |
plaud with any thing like cowboy
bOisterOusness. and that was when
the children laughed and clapped
their hands as the old elephant Nero
came into the ring.-Tom p. Morgan,
in Icslic's N~eysnancr |