Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-07-27
A RESCUED BOY.

IF Bonnie had minded his mother that
day, it would never have happened. 1t
was spring cleaning week at the farm
house, and even little boys were looked
upon ms very much in the way.
Mrs. Harper said right after break
fast of bread and milk had been served to
the little boy:
"Now, Bonnie, run out to the barn and
play with Rover. Hannah and l shall be
busy for a long, long time"
So Bonnie put on his cap and started
for the barn. just outside the kitchen
door he stopped to look up into the apple
tree that partly shaded the kitchen roof.
The kitchen had been lately added to the
main building of the house and was only
one story high. Up in the apple tree two
robins were building their nest. Bonnie
watched the robins; then he felt he would
like a nearer view of the nest. His mother
had forbidden him to climb trees, but he
said to himself: "Mamma and Hannah
are in the cellar cleaning and will never
know" So he began to climb. He crawled
out upon the branch where the robins were
building, but before he had time to say
Jack Robinson the limb gave a oreak,
broke right off and sent Bonnie tumbling
down the wide kitchen chimney. Mrs.
Harper and Hannah, who had heard the
noise, rushed from the cellar to see what
had happened. Mrs. Harper detected the
sound of mutfied sobs in the chimney, and
she began to cry:
cts Bonnie, and he's jammed into the
chimney. Oh, Hannah, whatever shall
we do?".
Laws a-massy, ma Fam, was there ever
such a boy for gettin into queer scrapes!
An there amt a ladder about the place!"
Fortunately for Bennie there was no
fire below, Mrs. Harper having allowed 1t
to get so low that she did not think it
worth while to light it again until noon.
"I'll run to the Pecks, ma'am, down
the road. They have a ladder, | know, for
1 heard Mr.. Harper say one day he loaned
'em ours, an they hain't never returned
IT,"
The distracted mother followed Hannah
to the gate just as a curious cavalcade,
headed by a little, fat, red faced mar on
horseback, came by.
The red faced man looked in surprise at
the excited women who came dashing to
the gate. Both were talking at ono In a
very loud and excited tone of voice, and he
couldn't make out what they were saying,
but he saw they were in great distress.
"What's the matter, ladies?" he inquired
very politely. "Can l be of any assistance
to you?'
"Oh, it's Bonnie! He's dropped down
the chimney, and we never shall get him
ontr' walled Mrs. Harper.
"Oh, l guess it isn't SO bad as all that!'
said the red faced man good naturally as
he and the other men got down from their
horses and went in to look at the chimney.
A very agile young man at his suggestion
scaled the side of the house as If he had
been a human fly, and, indeed, that was
the way he was advertised Oh the circus
bills. Before this you have guessed that
it was q travelling circus OH its way from
one town to another that had stopped at
the Harpers' gate.
II can see him down there, but it's a
little too far down for mo to reach him."
called the human fly over the kitchen caves
after a peep down the broad chimney.
The red faced man, who was the owner
and manager of the circus, gazed at the
chimney for a moment in "a brown.study.
Then he called, "Say, Bill, bring Samson
In here!'
The man addressed as Bill disappeared
and presently returned leading by a long
rope the very largest and most solemn ele-
plant. The animal carefully stepped over
the garden fence, and the neighbors and
Hannah and Mrs. Harper set up a shrek.
snow, don't you be scared, ma'am,"
commanded the circus man. "That ele-
plant is gentle as a kitten. If you'll just
step aside we will have that boy out in tho
swapping of a whip"
The elephant and his trainer advanced
to the kitchen chimney.
"Now, Samson, give me the boy" COM
manded the trainer, and the elephant
swung its mighty trunk high in the air,
poised it over the chimney, fumbled in
side, and the next minute Bonnie, very
red of face, very sooty n torn, was
swung into the air and then gently low
cred into the trainers arms.
Such a cheer as went up for that ele-
plant! After hugging and kissing the
boy Mrs. Harper would have liked to hug
the elephant, but the circus man said:
snow, ma'am, If you've anything sweet
about the place that you can spare and
would just give Samson a bite, he would
appreciate 1t. We always reward him
when he has done his tricks, and our
things are looked up in one of the vans.
"Hannah," said Mrs. Harper solemnly,
Ego right down into the cellar and bring
up that crock of doughnuts that ] baked
yesterday, and there are four mince pies
and a half loaf Of seed cake with a tin Of
cookies. There's nothing in my house too
good for that elephant"
That night Mr.. and Mrs. Harper, Ben
ME, Hannah and the hired man rode over
to the circus and saw the elephants go
through with their tricks. In closing, the
ringmaster, after telling Of what had hap
pened that morning, assisted Bennie on to
the big elephants back, and amid the
cheers of the audience the little boy rode
proudly around the ring Pittsburg
Chronicle.
An African Elephant.
Arthur G. Humbert, writing In Her-
per's Magazine on African buffaloes, says: