The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1892-06-25

meant business, for, with trunk ele-
waited and whistling like locomotive,
he instantly charged the astonished ma
jor. There was no chance to retreat, or
time to think what was best to be done;
but, more by force of instinct than rea-
son, the major threw his little rifle to
his shoulder and pulled the trigger, fir
ing square into the face of the enraged
brute now fairly towering above him.
Hiring that shot was the last con-
scious act of the majors for some time.
His cook had the breakfast ready, and
had grown as cross as the major him
self as he saw the food being spoilt by
getting cold. The native crackers and
hunters had gathered, and were wait
ing impatiently for the majors return
so that they could begin the days hunt,
but still the major did not appear At
last his men became alarmed at his con-
tinued absence, and set out to find him.
1t was an easy matter for the practiced
trailers to follow the majors track, and
in short time they turned an angle of
the Jungle, and saw sight that fairly
froze the blood in their veins and for a
moment rendered them, old hunters as
they were, motionless and speechless.
There before them, on the further
bank of the nullah, which they had
now reached, lay the major, fiat on his
back, with his head hanging over the
sharp edge of the ravine, with his eyes
closed and the blood oozing from his
nostrils, to all appearances dead; while
Immediately above him, with one huge
tusk thrust far into the ground on
either side, directly under the arms of
the unfortunate hunter, and with a
great knee pressing close against the
majors ribs on each of his fat sides,
was what seemed to the horror stricken
natives the largest elephant in all Bur
NAH, evidently as dead as elephants
ever get to be. In the very center of
the huge forehead was the little hole
made by the majors bullet, and a
stream of dark blood trickled slowly
down on to the PROSTATE form held in
such a tight grip beneath.
The natives quickly recovered their
wits and went actively to work to re-
move the dead body of their master
from its terrible position. This was no
small task, for the danger was great
that if they dug the bank of the nullah
away the ponderous carcass above
would topple over and crush the body
out of all semblance to humanity.
However, they began carefully loosen
ing the soil under their masters Shout
ders, first cutting several heavy props
and ''shoring up the elephant with
them as best they could. As they loos-
ened the terrible pinch which the con-
verging tuslSs had on the majors lungs
the faithful fellows were overjoyed to
hear a long groan proceed from his lips,
and rcdoubled their efforts for his re-
lease. 1t was a'difficult job, but they
executed it, and, making a
litter of bamboo poles, they carried the
still unconscious major back to his
camp, leaving two coolies to chop out
the magnificent pair of tusks of the ele
plant.
1t was many day before the gallant
major was able to indulge his taste for
field sports again. Three or four of his
ribs had been broken by the terrible
wise in which they had been held. His
right arm was fractured, and various
minor hurts rendered his recovery slow.
However, he ultimately took the field
again. and lived to lay low many lord
ly elephant and prowling tiger before
time gathered him to his fathers; and
to his latest day he kept the pair of
great tusl1s that had SO nearly caused
his death, and told the story of the
closest shave, probably, that ever ele-
plant hunter passed through and lived
to tell about.-St. Louis Globe-Demo-