Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1905-08-24
sHEPHERDsTOWN W. VA, THURSDAY. AUGUSTINE 1905.

II was reported tnat NdsslA anN Lac
beast had gone to the jungles. That
was a serious ofense. The elephant
was government property and was
hired to the railroad company at so
much per day. Nassik had been his
mahout for ten years, but he was no
more. He had incurred a serious
penalty by fleeing, and a party was
made to bring him back, but they
hunted him in vain. In four weeks
the incident was almost forgotten.
In time the great iron beams were
stretched from pier to pier, and cross
beams and girders were put in place,
and from sunup to sundOwn the hot
air quivered under the strokes of the
scores of hammers. The approaches
were filled in and spans laid to the
piers, and the chief engineer looked
over his work with a smile of salts
faction.
"All is going well, he said to him
self. "In another sixty days the iron
horse will be snorting across this struc-
ture. The Goomtree is on the rise,
and food will come, but we need
not fear it. We cleared its banks of
driftwood for fifty miles last year.
Nothing here can dam its waters back
and imperil the bridge"
An hour after Nassik had been
punished he had clssped his arms
around the trunk of his elephant and
said
"Bundara, I have been disgraced
before a thousand men because you
told me what the wild elephant said.
l do not believe you lied, but let US
go to the jungles and be by ourselves.
II the Goomtree is fretted and harass'
ed, then she will take revenge. We
should not be punished for what the
sahibs are doing"
The pair fed afar. Sometimes
they were alone and sometimes in the
company of wild elephants. The un-
tanned beasts had no fear OF Nassik.
For weeks they hid in the jungle or
roamed through the forests.
Light of my soul, )" began Nasslk
one day, "the time for the food in
the Goomtree draws near. Whisper
it to all your friends, that we may
seek its banks and be ready for work.
Whisper it to twenty-thirty-ffty.
We cannot have too much help. |
will rest here for three days, and do
you go among your kind and spread
the news.
At the end of the third day Bun
dara returned, and with him were
seventy elephants. He had told his
story well.
Three days later all were at work
on the Lanks of the river, fifty miles
above the bridge. The waters were
rising, but Nassik knew TO an inch
how high they would come before
standing still for day and then be-
ginning to recede. Under his direc-
tions the elephants began work. Such
trees as they could uproot and such
logs as they could roll together with
thousands of carloads Of smaller stuff.
were deposited just below high water
mark. They piled banks high for
FIVE miles. For half mile back the
forest was stripped Of limbs and vines
and logs, and the labor was finished
two days in advance.
at is well, my children" said
Nassik. 1.-THE waters will take every.
thing at their food, and then down
at the bridge they will see what they
will see. Let US now rest our labors. "
Down at the bridge there was no
fear as the food crept up. The Coon
tree was not bringing down enough
drift wood to tear raft from its moor
ings. So it was for week.
One morning when high water mark
was reached the chief engineer sneered
at the turgid food. Two hours later
there was a wild alarm. The face Of
the waters was hidden by drift. New
er had man seen 30 much of it. It
came rushing down like wall. Some
passed between the piers at first and
went crashing along, but presently
there was a swirling about and q
wedging of mighty trees, and FIVE
minutes later there was a block. In
half an hour it extended back mile,
and the force of million horses was
pressing against it. For quarter OF
an hour the handiwork Of man with.
stood the strain of the elements. Then
there was a crash and roar, and the
current of the Goomtree flowed on as
if man had never been.