Sunday morning globe., 1901-09-15

A gentleman has lately returned
from India to England, who VOWS that
never again will he engage in the ex-
citing sport of hunting big game He
has lost his nerve and his hair is
streaked with grey. A short time ago
It was dark brown 1t happened this
way:
Mr.. Nestall-so he is called in this
narrative-and two friends, the three
mounted on a couple of elephants,
we're passing through wood in Bur
ma. when they saw tracks Of wild ele.
plants, and decided to bag one or more
II possible. No long period elapsed
before the herd was sighted, and it
was found to comprise 10 females and
calves, and huge bull When ma
noeuvering to secure a shot at short
range. the herd got the wind Of the
sportsmen, and the leader advanced to
reconnoiter and If necessary defend his
charges
The most carefully trained elephants
are never absolutely trustworthy but
are liable to sudden fits Of nervousness.
Such an occurrence took place on this
occasion, and resulted in a senseless
stampede, the wild tusker, attracted
by the commotion and determined to
make the intruders pay dearly for
their temerity, following heavily in the
rear. In the frenzied rush through the
dense forest Mr. Nestall was swept OF
his mount by an overhanging branch,
and found himself. much shaken, de-
fenseless on the ground. On the one
hand could be heard the clatter Of his
departing comrades, and on the other
the advance of the infuriated wild ele-
phant Of great proportions 1t says
much for Nestalls presence Of mind
that. iazed as he was, he at once grasp
ed the situation and recognized that
safety lay not only in ascending tree,
but also in selecting a stem Of suitable
thickness from whence he might In
confidence await the return Of a res
culng party. Near at hand he espied
the dead trunk Of a large tree, and sep
arated from it only by a foot or two
stood a sapling of convenient size for
climbing. In a moment (one's brain
works rapidly at such times) Mr. Mes
tall had swarmed up the sapling and
sat. at a height Of some 10 feet from
the ground. on the edge Of the dry
stump, which he now for the first time
ascertained to be hollow.
Soon the wild elephant arrived un-
der the tree. saw Mr.. Nestall, and made
a charge at the sapling. The result
was that Mr.. Nestall lost his balance
and fell into the hollow tree, where he
found himself in temporary security
while the tusker outside was contlnu'
ing his search for the enemy VINO had
so miraculously disappeared. BY de-
grees. however, as the excitement wore
of and he began to feel wearied and
sore from his unusual experience, the
nrisoper found his forced confinement
irksome and wished for some way OF
escape. He learned that the soil on
which he stood was composed oil
masses Of rotten wood and Fungus
which raised him above the earth level
but still not sufficiently to enable MIN
TO reach. either by stretching or jump
ing any hold for his hands on the edge
of the trunk. He then endeaYored J1
nile the debris Of decaying wood to one
side so as gradually to raise himself
after many Efforts, he remained
unsuccessful, for the standing room
was so limited that there was no space
10 build a mound large enough for his
requirements Up till now he had not
thought seriously Of his position but
when il dawned upon him that with
out help there could be no exit from
his living tomb the depression and ter
ror which suddenly overwhelmed MIN
amounted almost to despair.
The sun was now setting, and the
forest was deathlike in its stiffness
the air became cold and damp, and, &c
add to the pangs Of hunger and thirst
which now commenced to assail him
he had to contend against the pain OF
bruises. which during the first excite
ment he had hardly noticed. knowing
that IL would be useless to waste ms
strength in futile endeavors to escape
from his prison, he decided to lose nc
chance. but to pass the night waketul
lv shouting at interl ais, though he
had faint hope that he could be relieY
ed before daylight or that the sound
of his voice would penerate far into
the forest. Alternate periods OF de
spair and hope-the latter growing
shorter as his strength failed in the
struggle against cold and pain-wer'
happily followed by the sleep OF eX
haustion.
When Mr.. Nestall awake the day
had broken and a new fear gripped hi.
heart. Had his companions returned
and passed him by when sleeping? IN
a frenzy he shouted and beat his pris
on walls with hands and rect ul
Obliged from weakness to desist, Ther
he felt Indifferent to his fate, and pass
ed hours in a state Of exhaustion anC
stupor which he mistook for resigna
tion That IL was not so was proved
when at noon the sun poured It's yer