Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1900-03-30

TOOLS. immedlately afrerWafu the
carcass entered the narrow aperture
before it. There was a splintering
crash. The gate buckled up like
matchwood And upsetting the table
of ticket collector, dispensing the
bowls of coins in a blinking shower
the animal entered the yard. For a
brief second it seemed that the thick
Tipped brutal head would run itself in
its mad fury against a red brick wall
but the four feet came together like a
pivot. The enormous body swung
round. There followed a moments
frightful expectation when the pig-like
eyes examined the shadow of the
sheds where women were crouching.
Afterward a dreadful many-Yoiced
cry arose from the boats upon the
river, as, with one tremendous curvet
"a veritable caricature of animal mo
tion-the hippopotamus made straight
for the river, entering ii with a tre-
mendous splash
The brute sank deeply under. AS
II reappeared with dripping tusks, the
crowd of pleasure boats began to flee
some up, some down the river, with
frantic strokes of their oars.
"Sshush!" Edward Foster hissed
holding his position amid the panic
with a superb bravery, and splashing
wildly with his sculls in an endeavor
to drive the beast back to land.
The chase very soon began to tell
upon the crowded, jostling boats. The
interval between them and the power
fully swimming brute diminished and
diminished Presently the peril of a
boat, containing women and children.
was becoming fearfully evident II
was falling behind the rest. II was
yawning undecidedly from a straight
course, giving the pursuing animal
greater and greater advantage. A
man was watching the terrible sight
from where he had halted after the
first panic. Suddenly he touched a
lever. There was a whirring, rafting
splash. And putting on full oil power.
Davis began to steer his tricycle. after
the hippopotamus 1t was an impulse
of gallantry, taking him to do he scar
cely knew what
The tricycle. gained up to a few
yards astern of the hippopotamus
before the cellar idea came to Mr..
Davis that he was going to try and
divert the furious animal in pursuit
of himself. He began to hish and
halloa, at first family, but soon with
the growing passion of desperate man
entering his whole energy and heart
into a splendid attempt to save life.
The monstrous, wallowing, barrel
like bulk was not to be diverted from
the boat! The curved white tusks
Travelled closer and closer to its frail
stern. A catastrophe seemed immi-
nent. Suddenly Mr. Davis removed
his hat, casting it cuttingly downward
with his whole force The sragged
edge of the straw caught the brutes
eye painfully The hippopotamus
swerved and turned. In a second the
tricycle. was following round on
wide curve, gashing up the surface of
the river into treble lines of foam.
Come on, you beast!" the man
shouted tauntingly to the brute
! passion glaring at him. Come on!"
The challenge seemed understood.
The small pointed ears cooked them
selves cunningly. With a surging
| leap that exposed it's shoulders, the
| hippopotamus began to chase Mr.
Davis down the river toward the
/ bridge.
The tricyclist gaining palpably
upon the savage brute in its wake,
/ approached the town bridge at full
| speed. A dense crowd was standing
upon the latter their faces peering red
and white through the stone balus-
| trades. 1t was no sooner evident that
| Mr.. Davis intended to shoot the cen
| trail arch than there was an agitation
amid this mass of people. They began
| to shout. The confused bable of shrill
cries appeared to be a warning. But
of what? Mr.. Davis looked alright
edly over his shoulder. No, it was
not that! He was still gaining. I'M
mediately afterward, win a glance up,
he swept unenlightened under the up
roar of the crowd. AS Mr.. Davis
again flashed out into the sunshine
beyond the arch a sight met his laze
which explained
Straining along the foot of a prone
made was the crowd of pleasure boats
that had fed down the river from
Bronsor's when the hippopotamus had
first appeared. They were some two
hundred and fifty ys~ds away. II was
a necessity, Of Mr.. Davis were to save
them, that he should keep the hippo
potamus in play till they could reach
and land upon low bank some
hundreds of yards beyond a lock on
the right. A few seconds passed
amio the agony of indecision Then
Mr.. Dayis's hand went resolutely to
the machines brake. He began to
press it harder and harder, looking
over his shoulder. Suddenly the aw-
fully critical moment, that he had an
ticipated came. The hippopotamus
was almost upon him when, with a
clever touch of the steering-rod, Mr..
Davis detected the machine aside.
1t was the commencement Of a second
duel between man and brute.
The crowd watched the conflict
gradually withdraw in the wake OF
the fleeing boats. A score of times Mr.
Davis endeavored to escape past the
hippopotamus into the open water up
the river A score of times the Gun
ming of the mad Orute foiled him
Presently they were opposite the side
lock, and it seemed that the cyclist
must be driven back and followed
among the boats. The crowds upon
the bridge and the promenade grew
breathlessly silent. There was a
moment when the tricycle. was sta
tioRaTy. Then the brute made a
rush
And women shut their eyes.
But the ringing, yociferating cheer!
The cVclist had escaped into the