The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-07-15
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'By your lordship's favor, answered
q voice, che is not must, only angry
There is no stream from his eve.
Nevertheless will drive him to tho
lines, but nm but dust of the earth,
and thousand rupees will make me
king" Then o red.turbaned man
stepped out of the throng. II was
tho low-cnste cody who had been put
to attend to the elephant on Aladin's
death. He was armed with q short
spear, and he crept up to the beast on
his hands and knees, and then, rising
warily, dug tho weapon into tho
elephants haunch. Shere Bahadur
raped his trunk on the ground, gave
short, quick trumpet, and, swinging
round, made for the man. He did
this in slow, deliberate manner, and
actually allowed him to gain the
crowd; then he flung up his head with
screech, and dashed forward.
Crack l---crack went both barrels
of Sri Ranabir's rifle, and two bullets
whistled harmlesslY through the air.
The panic-struck mob turned and fled,
bearing the struggling prince in the
press. The elephant was, however,
too quick, and to his horror, Sri
Ranabir saw that he had charged
homo.
Then Sri Ranabir nlso saw some-
thing that he never forgot Not q
soul did the elephant harm but, with
dogged persistence, followed the red
turbaD. Some, bolder than the rest,
struck at him with their thin talwars,
some tried to stab him with their
spears, and one or two matchlocks
were fred nt him, but to no purpose.
Through the crowd he steered straight
for his prey, and the crowd itself gave
gave back before him, in seq of
| frightened faces. At last the man
himself seemed to realize Shere BAHIA
dur's object, and it dawned like an in
spiration on the rest. They made a
road for the elephant, and he separated
his quarry from the crowd.
AT last He ran him down on q
plowed field and stood over the wretch.
The man lay partly on his side, look
ing up OF his enemy, ana he put up
his hand weakly and rested it against
the fJreleg of the elephant, who stood
motionless above him So still was
he that q wild thought y1fes:.rf. W. W
have gone through the wretcn'Iil ON
for, with the resource born OF i'm mi
nent peril, he gathered himself to.
gether inch by inch and made O rush
for freedom. With an easy sweep oi
his trunk Shere Bahadur brought him
buck into his former position, and
then-the devil came up, and groan
went up from the crowd, for Shere
Bahadur had dropped on his knees,
and moment after arose and kicked
somethln8- mangled, shapeless
Observation-Disclosures and forwards
between his feet.
"Let him be-" said tho Vizier, lay
ing q restraining hand on Sri Ranabir.
"What has he killed but refuse2 The
Shaitan will go out of him nOw."
When he had done tho deed, Shere
Bahadur moved q few yards farther.
and began to cart clods OF earth over
himself
Then it was seen that small figure,
with q driving hook in its little brown
hand, was making directly for the ele-
phant
"Come back, you little fool |" shout
ed Sri Ranabir. But the boy made nc
answer, and, running lightly forward,
stood before Shere Bahadur. He
placed the tinsel-covered cap he wore
at tho beasts feet, aud held up his
hands in supplication.
The crowd stood breathless; they
could hear nothing, but tho child was
evidently speaking. They saw Shere
Bahadur glare viciously at tho boy, as
his trunk dropped forward IN a
straight line. The lad again spoke,
and the elephant snorted doubtfully.
Then there was no mistaking tho shrill
treble-"Lifti" Shere Bahadur held
out his trunk in an unwilling manner.
The boy seized hold of it as high as
he could reach, placed his bare feet
on the curl and murmured something
A moment after he was seated on the
elephants neck, and lifting the driv-
ing iron, waved 1t in the air.
"Hai |" he screamed, as he drove it
on to the right spot-the sore part
over the left eur. "Hai Base-born
thief-back to your lines.
And the huge bulk of Shere Bahadur
turned slowly round and shambled off
to the peopul tree like lamb.
"By tho trunk of Gunputty. will
mako that lad havilder, and the 1000
rupees shall DO his" swore tho Ma
haraj.
"Pillar of the Earthi" advised the
Vizier, "let this unworthy one speak.
1t is Futtch Din, the dead Aladin'e
son-give him fire rupees, and let him
be mahout.
When / last saw Shere Bahadur hC
was passing solemnly under the old
archway of the "Gate of tho Hundred
Winds" ut Kalesar. The Maharaj
Adhirai was seated in the howda, with
his excellenoy the Nawab Juggun jung
by his side. On the driving seat was
Futteh Din, gorgeous in cloth of gold
and they were on their way to the
funeral pyre of the heir apparent, who
had died suddenly from "a surieit OF
cream.
As they passed under the archway, q
sweetmeat seller roso aud bowed TO the
prince, and Shere Bahadur, stretching
out his trunk, helped himself 60 q pound
or so of ''lurkish delight. "