Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-07-20

phant !-Pnhl " but an ami
mal?"
"By your lordship's favor, answered
voice, she is not must, only angry
There is no stream from his eye.
Nevertheless I will drive him to the
lines, but l am but dust of the earth,
and thousand rupees will make me
a king" Then red-turbaned man
stepped out of the throng. 1t was
the low-caste cody who had been put
to attend to the elephant on Aladin's
death. He was armed with short
spear, and he crept up to the beast on
his hands and knees, and then, rising
warily, dug the weupon into the
elephants haunch. Shere Bahadur
raped his trunk on the ground, gave
a 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
q 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 hOd charged
home.
Then Sri Ranabir also saw some
| thing that he never forgot. Not n
soul did the elephant harm but, with
a dogSed persistence, followed the red
turbau. 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 fired at him, but to no purpose.
Through the crowd he stcered straight
for his prey, and the crowd itself gave
gave back before him, in a sea 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
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 tho wretch
The man lay partly on his side, look
ing up mt his enemy, ana he pat up
his hand weakly and rested it against
the foreIeg of the elephant, who stood
motionless above him. So still was
he that wild thought of escape must
have gone through the wretch's mind,
for, with the resource born of i'm mi
nent peril, he gathered himself to-
gether inch by inch and made n rush
for freedom. With an easy sweep of
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
something mangled, shapeless
something-backwards and forwards
between his feet.
"Let him be" said the Vizier, lay
ing restraining hand on Sri Ranabir.
"What has he killed but refuse? The
Shaitan will go out of him now."
When he had done the deed. Shere
Bahadur moved few yards farther.
and began to cart clods of earth over
himself
Then it was seen that a small figure,
with 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 no
answer, and, running lightly forward,
stood before Shere Bahadur. He
placed the tinsel-covered cap he wore
at the boasts feet, and held up his
hands in supplication.
The crowd stood breathless; they
could hear nothing, but the child was
evidently speaking. They saw Shere
Bahadur glare viciously at the boy, as
his trunk dropped forward IN u
straight line The lad again spoke,
and the elephant snorted doubtfully
Then there was no MISLEADING the shrill
treble-"Lift! !" 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 it in the air.
"Hai p he screamed, as he drove it
on to the right spoN-the sore part
over the left ear. Hail Base born
thief-back to your lines"
And the huge bulk of Shere Bahadur
turned slowly round and shambled off
to the peepul tree like lamb.
"By the trunk of Gunputty. I will
make that lad havilder, and the 1000
rupees shall be his" swore the Ma
haraj.
"Pillar OF the Earthl" advised the
Vizier, "let this unworthy one speak
II is Futtch Din, the dead Aladn's
son-give him fire rupees, and let him
be mahout."
When l last saw Shere Bahadur he
was passing solemnly under the old
archway of the "Gate of the Hundred
Winds" at Kalesar. The Mahoraj
Admiral was seated in the howda, with
his excellency the Nawab Juggun Jung
nv his side On thp driving cent wa q