Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-03-15

Just how and when it happened
that he let go OF the rope he could not
tell, but without any trouble to him
self he suddenly found that the rope
had disappeared, and he was standing
in great compound beside river.
BY the river banks were great stacks
OF lumber, and a small army of ele-
plants, each in charge of mahout
who, perched on the brute's neck, was
picking up huge logs and carrying
them, according to their length and
thickness, to other stacks, where the
elephants piled them with almost hui
man intelligence and exactness. Fred
die remembered this government dock
yard, for he had been taken to watch
the elephants once before by his father.
He was greatly interested and wan
dered about freely. He chatted to
the mahouts and others, but it seemed
odd they were all very, very busy, for
they did not answer, indeed, they did
not seem to see the little boy at all.
Freddie did not mind that, there was
so much to watch.
At last he came to a corner of the
yard where big elephant was stand
ing all by himself, swaying from side
to side, chained by one leg. Freddie
recognized him by his size as one that
he had ridden ON in care of the ma
hout when he was here before. Natu
rally, the boy wished to enjoy ride
again. There was no attendant near
to help him up, but somehow he found
that the swarthy, turbaned old Jug
gler was looking into his eyes again,
and the next instant he was tri-
umphantly seated atop OF tho ele-
phant. He was TREMENDOUSLY pleased at
first, but all of moment the beast
raised his trunk cad trumpeted with a
savage roar. At the same time he gave
his leg a mighty jerk, and the iron
chain burst, and the elephant was
free. He roared again and tossed his
trunk high, and then charged straight
through the compound. The black
men and the white men scattered in
all directions, yelling in fear.
"Run! Run! Look out! Look out!
The Rajah's loose! He's mad! Run
for your life!''
They all ran SO quickly that a clear
path was left for the mad elephant,
who dashed straight through the yard,
shattered the great gates as if they
were orange boxes and, trumpeting
furiously, galloped wildly into the far
spreading open country. Easily and
incomprehensively as Freddie had got
up he found he could not now get
down, and he was dreadfully afraid,
but he seemed fastened to the huge
beasts neck just behind the great ears.
He would have liked to jump off, but
he could not; he just stuck and stuck
and stuck. He had had no idea be-
fore that elephants could run so fast.
The Rajab ran like n racehorse. The
trees and houses flashed past. They
came to native village, and the in
habitants-fathers and mothers grab
bing babies and bowling with fear
dashed and darted and climbed and
crawled to all imaginable hiding
places.
Crish! Crash! through the branches
of trees; splish! splash! through q
muddy river; swish! swash! through
meadows of high, thick grass, in which
tame buffalos were entirely hidden
from sight! Through wood and river
aud grass Freddie held on in q most
marvellous manner. At last they came
to spot somewhat familiar to the lit
tie boy, strip of jungle with belt of
open, rolling grassland in front.
Through an opening in the Jungle
Freddie saw the dark green brushes
of plantation, and beyond that the
roof and upper veranda of high
bungalow. Freddie recognized his
own home. He had no time to look
twice, however, for suddenly right be-
fore the elephant, directly in his path,
there stepped out from the jungle two
big men with guns, and Freddie saw
that they were his father aud uncle.
For the first time the boy found breath
to yell.
Papa! Uncle Fred! Let me
down!' he screamed. ''The elephant
has run away! He's mad! Stop him!
Take me down."
It was impossible to believe it, it
was absurd to credit it. Those two
big men, at sight of the mad elephant
and the little boy charging upon them,
turned and fed! True, they had only
light, small calibre rifles, but-was
that au excuse for deserting an adored
son and nephew in his extremity?
They did not get away, however!
Freddie's father tripped and fell right
in the road of the Rajah! Uncle Fred
stopped, white as death, but steady,
astride of the stunned figure of his
brother Seventy yards away the ele-
phant trumpeted and bore down tri-
umphantly. Uncle Fred took careful
aim. There was but one little spot in
the great beasts forehead to hit suc-
cessfully and stop the Raiah, To miss