The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-03-23

and Nabob, who drew Rallies gun car
rage, both hated and feared the steam
cars. They reared and plunged aud
trumpeted shrilly. Then, mad with
terror and deaf TO the exhortations and I.
prodding of the native mahouts, they I
broke out of line and dashed up rocky |
hillside, straight away from the re
viewing staff and the rest Of the force
The disaster was instantly observed.
There was no lack of discipline. The
battery halted, and its commanding Off
Ger spurred after the fugitives on horse
back. Then, by special order, troop
of cavalry clattered over the plain. The
ambulance corps wisely followed.
This is serious. Stratford," said the
governor general. Il know what mad
elephants are. The brutes will likely
plunge over yonder bluff" Peering
! through his fieldglasses, he added
There is some one on the carriage be-
side the gunner"
The colonel took the glasses with
trembling hand. sit is BERTHE, he
! easped. and digging the spurs into his
horse he was off like a whirlwind.
Meanwhile the huge, panic stricken
| elephants had actually gained on their
L
| the hill, over rocks, bushes and every
thing that came in their way. Rallies
realized the danger. He had but one
thought-how to save BERTHE.
The lads first impulse was to jump,
Int Rallies caught and held him.
you'll break your neck if you try
that. he cried. Trust to me. !"
Side by side they chung to the narrow
haf thew
not pitched off. Finding they could do
nothing with the maddened brutes, both
drivers Jumped at the same instant.
One poor fellow struck head first on
rock and never moved. The other land
ed in some bushes, but he was not Iar
enough out of the way. He uttered
piercing scream as the heavy wheeis
rolled over his leg.
BERTHE shivered and chung tighter to
his companion. The elephants dashed
on faster than ever. Just ahead was
the top of the hill The otner side
dropped down at frightfui angle 1or
several hundred feet 1t sickened Raj
hes to think of what would happen
when the maddened brutes should reach
the verge. In vain he shouted TO sui
tan. He looked back at the pursuing
hOISeinGn. NO nope III dIu
Then Tom remembered that road
led along the brow of the hill and hnal-
Iv turned down to the River Raw at a
point where the slope was not so pre-
cipitous. Like flash he formed des-
perate resolve.
Hold tight, my lad, - he said. I'm
going to leave you. 1t 1T comes TO the
worst, jump off before we go over the
bluff Do You understand:
BERTHE nodded. There was a grim
and plucky expression on his pall1c
face.
The next instant an agile spring land
. ed Rallies on Nabob's back. BY cling
ing to the stout harness he worked hli
way forward. A second spring carried
: him over the gap between the two ele
phants, and he was quickly perched Oh
7 Sultan neck.
Fortunately. the mahout had left tn
prod sticking in the harness with tnl
. Raffies belabored the unruly brute am
strove to turn him to one side. II
stormed and threatened and called hin
by name. For minute OF Keen sus
!, nense the issue trembled in the balance
+ Then, when the dizzy preclplce wa
Z, only a few yards distant, Sultan obeye
: the prod and swung to the left INTO IN
road. Rallies waved his hand at befu'
F. stick tight. lad" he shouted.
It, But the danger was not yet over, h'
L had the elephants recovered from the
fright. AS madly as ever they dasht
-. along the rough road, at times swlnglI
"a perilously near to the outer verge.
- vain Raffies coaxed and threatened al
re- piled the prod.
OF their own accord the brutes too
y the turn toward the river and swe
:, the heavy gun carriage down the n,
an at a frightful speed. BERTHE had all
nj could do to keep his seat
ve When the bottom of the hill VI
n reached, Rallies vainly tried to turn t
an elephants aside. They rushed mad
bc forward and clattered out on the pc
~ toon bridge which spanned the rive
VT In midstream the frail structure ga
, way, and elephants and gun we
be through with tremendous splash
A plank struck BERTHE on the he
~ with such force as to stun him.
f., foundered helplessly alongside
rs struggling elephants, who We're 81
oil merged to their necks. From I
ar place of peril he was rescued by II
eos fies. who caught his collar and sw
~, with him for shore. The swift curr
,o1 bore them down some distance,
n when Raffies finally landed with
nd precious charge he was we'll nigh
re hausted.
90 A score of horscmen were quickly
hey the spot-aiAone 'ieli 800 -
whole affair AS he clasped Bertlt
ont his arms he looked at Rallies, and 1
,ur- look was soulce "a |Oi-7
wal gloomy days that followed.
ack Ot course the review .S "''s sp -
say. IL tooh tne rest u 'no U.'' ~ -;
-ou. elephants anu INC 5 III ~ -
That night. and for several succ'
for ing NIGHTS. Raffles slept in his old {