The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1903-03-21
HOW RAMA KILLED
THE ELK s.

TAR up the Ceylon mountain, where
the village huts crowded together.
the little naked children, open
mouthed and wondering, chartered and
admired respectfully around the camp
and in the glow Of the camp fire, ,.tgsd.
About it lay the dores, the masters,
all young men, laughing and hearty,
with short pipes in their teeth, Be
tween their legs, listening grayely,
lolled the veteran hunters, the leaders
of the. pack, the wiry. low-running,
clear-throated beagles. oBack in the
shadows, with q proud disregard OF the
village and the villagers, the dogboys
and the horsebeys tended their
charges, ate their rice and talked OF the
elk of the mountains.
There were swift runners to follow
the horses, each with his bright, shin
ing hunting blade secure in its sheath,
each in the livery of:his master, Some
wore snowy headcloths and some caps
Of the skin of the panther. Black and
brown were their faces and their lean
limbs, bare from the knee, with feet
impervious to thorn or fiint'stone, ava
Suddenly from, the mountain ridges
there rang a Cry 4, .s-
To their feet. leaped the white men;
10 their legs jumped the beagles; the
attendants ceased their work and their
chatter; even the naked children for
got their awe and listened, 1t came
again from the distance-the bark of q
great bull elk calling for mate
The hearts of the young men
thrilled; the swarthy heaters and fol-
lowers squatted down again, polishing
With renewed ardor the weapons of the
masters; the dogs whined restlessly in
their leashes, and the pet veterans
licked the. masters faces, eager then
and there, by the white moonlight, to
follow the chase. 40 & .a.s .-lrsf 81.
"A grand fellow by his bark" said
McNaughton, chief of the hunt. HE
should give us a run if we can faster
onfhis scent tomorrow" a'f's,f
"Over Malulla way" said young
Prior, of the bank, that is where,
Judge, and bad country, too"
II believe you," said another. Look
out for troopers Tomorrow. if we have
a run. The place Is full of jungle patch
esand little rocky streams and dry gull
lies-lots of jumping"
"Yea," said McNaughton, land dom,
forget that precipice where the Malulls
lake lies We must head him of from
there, or he's lost to us. A man dowr
Badulla way, old Merriman, was telling
me of hunt years ago where the ell
took the leap, plunged into the LAKE
and swan safely away"
Then to the well-cleaned huts of tn,
weil-paid, villagers the hunters betool
themselves, and the attendants rolles
themselves up by the dogs and horse
and silence fell upon the camp.
Rama lay awake and apart from tn,
other servants-Rama,a dogboy and ,
swift runner, with proud heart, nov
very sore. All the evening he had re
manned by himself lying in the lonI
grass. sullenly. watching the fireligh
play on the faces of the masters.
Rama was o newcomer TO McNaugh
tons tea estate. Black, with brigh
eyes. straight, swife of foot and stronl
of wrist, McNaughton had soon notices
and admired him as one athlete ad
mires the sinews of rival. So Ram
did not work in the field long, bu
was brought to the kennels and tn
stables and trained by the wealth
master to ride. to shoot and to carr
his masters second gun.
Rama was soon longing for q chanc
10 show his strength and skill, and 10
the chance had come, and he was dis
graced. On the setting out Of thii
Rama's first elk hunt, misfortune ha
befallen him. The masters favorit
horse had strained its shoulder at e,
ercise-and Rama was blamed. Also
young beagle had strayed and bee
lost, and Rama was blamed. More, o
arrival at the camp, the master foun
he had forgotten his field glasses, an
again Rama was blamed. The maste
had even said that Rama was unworth
x to follow the chase and must 60 bac
to the lines and work inlthe field wit
the dumb coolies.
Therefore Rama lay in the dew-ws
ersss with bitter heart, for he a,