Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-06-27

MSNI EVMh&I anu Occupation o
2l4sEl QAY stringing into gar
lands the thick vel
low and white champac blossoms thai
strewed the ground, under the broad
leaved tree near the lentena hedge,
was startled by an angry trumpet, and
looked in the direction of Shere BAHIA.
dur.
"He is must" said one to the other
in an awe.struck whisper and then, {
sudden terror selling them, they
bounded like little brown apes, silently
and swiftly into a gap in the hedge
and vanished.
There were 100 evil desires kissing
in Shere Bahadur's heart, as he swayed
to and fro under the huge peepul tree
to which he was chained. Ind1gnity
upon indignity had been heaped npor
him. It was mere accident that
Aladdin, the mahout who had attended
him for twenty years. was dead. How
on earth was Shere Bahadur to know
that his skull was so thin? He had
merely tapped it with his trunk in d
moment OF petulance, and the head oil
Aladdin had cracked in like the shell
of an egg. Shere Bahadur was re.
duced to the ranks. For weeks he
had to carry the fodder supply of the
Maharajs stables, like an ordinary
beast of burden; and low. caste slave,
a fool to boot, had been put to attend
on him. 1t was not to be borne.
Shere Bahadur clanked his chains
angrily, and. ever and anon. flung
whisps of straw. twigs and dust on his
broad back and mottled forehead. He,
a kemeriah, of Kemeriahs, to be
treated thusl He was no longer the
stately beast that bore the yellow aud
silver howdah of the Maharaj Admiral
in solemn procession-who put aside,
with a gentle sweep OF his trunk. the
children who crowded the narrow
streets OF Kalesar. No; it was differ
ent now. He was a felon and an out.
cast, bound like thief. Something
had given way in his brain. and Shere
Bahadur was mad. The flies lowered
on the sore part over his left ear,
where the long peak of the driving
iron had burrowed in, and, with a
trumpet of rage, the elephant blew a
cloud of dust into the air, and strained
himself backward.
Click Click The cast iron links
of the big chain that bound him
snapped, and Shere Bahadur was free.
He cautiously moved his pillar.like
legs backwards and forwards to salts
fy himself OF the fact, and then, with
the broad fans of his ears spread out,
stood for moment still as a stone.
High up amongst the leaves the green
pigeons whistled softly to each other,
and gray squirrel was engaged in
hot dispute with bluejay over treas.
ure trove, found in a hollow of one of
the long branches that, python like,
twined and twisted overhead. Far
away, tier upon tier of purple hills
rose, and beyond them a white line of
snow.capped peaks stood out against
the sapphire of the sky. Hathni
Khund was there, the deep pool of
Jumna, where, thirty years before,
Shere Badadur had splashed and
swum. 1t was there that he fought
and defeated the hoary tusker of the
herd-the one tusked giant who had
bullied and tyranized over his tribe
for time beyond Shere Bahadur's
memory.
Perhaps thought of that big fight
stirred him; perhaps the breeze
brought him the sweet scent of the
young grass in the glens. At any
rate, with quick, impatient flap of
his ears, Shere Bahadur turned and
faced the hills. As he did so his
twinkling red eyes caught sight of the
Kalesar state troops, on their parade
ground, barely quarter of mile
from where he stood.
The fat little Maharaj was there,
standing near the saluting point.
Close to him was the Vizier, with the
court and last, but not least, a know.
ing little fox TERROR dug mp the earth
with his fore paws, scattering it about,
OF the august presence.
The Maharaj was proud of his
troops. He had raised them himself
in an outburst of loyalty, the day af-
ter birthday gazette, in which His
Highness Sri Ranabir Pertab Sing,
Maharaj Admiral Of Kalesar, had been
admitted a companion of an exalted
order. The Star of India glittered on
the podgy little prince. He was
dreaming of glorious day when he -
he himself-would lead the victorious
levy through Khyber, first in the field
against the Russ, when murmur that
swelled to cry Of fear rose from the
ranks, and the troops melted away be-
fore their king. Rifles and accouter.
ments we're flung aside, there was a
wild stampede, and the gorgeously at.
tired Colonel, quitting spurs to his
horse, mingled up with the dust and
was lost to view.
The Maharaj stormed in his native
tongue, and then burst into English
oaths. He turned in his fury towards
the Vizier; but was only in time to
see the snowy robes of that high func.
tionary disappearing into a culvert,
and the confused mob of his court
running helter.skelter across the
sward. But yet another object caught
the princes eye, and chilled him with
horror: it was the vast bulk of Shere
Bahadur moving rapidly and nois-
lessly towards him.
Sri Ranabir was Rajpoot of the
bluest blood, and his heart was big /;
but this awful sight, this swift, silent
advance OF hideous death, paralyzed
him with fear. Already the long
shadow Of the elephant had moved
near his feet, already he seemed i'm
paled on those cruel white tusks, when
there was swapping bark, and the
fox terrier few at Shere Bahadnr and
danced around him in a tempest of
rage. The elephant turned and made
a savage dash at the dog, who skipped
nimbly between his legs, and renewed
khn .ooou1k IN kho roor Put khia ,nn