San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-01-28
QUATERNAIN'S WIFE.
By q. RIDER HAGGARD.
author Of Colonel Quaritch, V. c." "lfr.
Nelson's WIZ" "A Tale of Three
Lions" "-ll'an euatermain,"
"She," "JeSs,n etc.


hoped that the bull would take no fur
Their notice of it. But he had different
view of the matter Pulling himself up
in a series of plungeS, he spun around
and came for me with OutstretChed ears
and uplifted trunk, screaming terribly
| was quite dcfeuselesS, for nv gun was
empty, and my first thought was of es-
cape. dug my heels into the sides of
my horse, but he would not move an
inch. The poor animal was paraiyzed
with terror, and he simply stood still, his
iorelegs OutStretched, and quivering all
over like leaf.
On rushed the elephant, awful to see;
made one more vain effort to stir the
horse. Now the trunk of the great bull
swung aloft above my head \ thought
flashed through my brain. Quick as
light rolled from the saddle By the
side of the horse lay a fallen tree, as
thick through as a mans body. The
tree was lifted Il little off the ground by
the broken bOughS which took its weight,
and with single movement. so active is
one in such necessities. flung myself
beneath it. As | did SO, heard the trunk
of the elephant descend with a mighty
thud on the back of my poor horse, and
the next instant | was almost in dark
ness, for the horse, whose back was
broken, fell over across the tree under
which lay ensConced. But he did not
stop there long. In ten seconds more the
bull had got his trunk round my dead
nag'S neck. and, with a mighty effort.
hurled him clear of the tree Iwriggled
backwards as far rs | could towards the
roots of the tree, for / knew what he was
after.
Presently l saw the red tip of the bulls
trunk stretching itself towards me. If
he could manage to hook it round any
part Of Inc | was lost. But i'll the posi-
ton occupied, that was just what he
could not do, although he knelt down to
facilitate his operations On came the
swapping tip like u great open-mouthed
snake; it closed upon my hat, which
vanished. Again it was thrust down,
and a scream of rage was believed
through it within four inches of my
head. Now it seemed to elongatr itself.
Oh, heavens! now it had me by the
hair, which, luckily for myself, was not
very long. Then it was my turn to
scream, for next instant half u square
inch of hair was dragged from my scalp
by the roots. was being plucked alive;
as | have seen cruel kaf1ir Kitchen BOYS
pluck a fowl. The elephant. however,
disappointed with the moderate results,
changed his tactics. He wound his
trunk round the fallen tree and lifted it.
1t stirred, but fortunately the broken
branches imbedded in the spongy SOIL
and some roots, which still held, pre-
vented it from being turned over,
though he lifted it so much that, had it
occurred to him, he could now have
easily fiShed me out with his trunk
Again he hoisted with all his mighty
strength, and | saw that the tree was
coming, and rOared aloud for help Some
shots were fired close by in answer, but
if th2y hit The ball, th>i:' Only g. va.
to stir his energies to more active life. In
another few seconds my shelter would
be torn away, and | should be done for.
A cold perSpiratiOn burst over me rs |
realized that | was lost. Then of a sud
den | remembered that had a pistol in
my belt, which often used for dispatch
ing wounded game. 1t was loaded and
capped. BY this time the tree was lifted
SO much that | could easily get my hand
down to my middle and draw the pistol
from its case. | drew and cooked it,
See the tree was coming, and there, with
in three feet of my head. was the great
brown trunk of the elephant placed
the muzzle of the pistol within an inch
of it and fred. The result was instanta-
neOuS. Down sunk the tree again, Civ
ing one of my legs a considerable
squeeze, and the next instant / heard
crashing sound. The elephant had
bOlted
BY this time, what between fright and
struggling. | was pretty we'll done. |
cannot remember how | got from under
the fallen tree, or indeed anything, until
found myself sitting on the ground
drinking some peach brandy from a
flask, and old 1ndaba, zimbi opposite me
nodding his white lock sagely, while he
fired off moral reflections on the narrow
ness of my escape, and my unwisdom in
not having taken his advice to go on
foot. That reminded me of my horse
[ got up and went to look at it. 1t was
quite dead; the blow of the elephants
trunk had fallen on the saddle, breaking
the framework and rendering it useless.
| reflected that in another two seconds
it would have fallen on me. | called to