The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-03-24
II III T.
SIXTH
SHOT.

mo" said the Major, II don't shoot
that is, in the sense in which you en-
ploy the word in England. | have never
been able to regard the shooting Of
grouse, pheasants and game of that
sort as a sport at all. The mere ex-
ercise Of skill is not enough for me. |
must have danger. In the absence of
that, fail to see anything interesting
in any of the so-called field sports.
Danger!" pursued the Major with en-
thusiasm. ITO be in imminent peril OF
ones life! All! that is the true the
only genuine happiness.
1.-THE pursuit of danger Of all kinds
has been passion with me. Call it
weakness if you will admit that on
occasion it has led to awkward situa-
tions; on active service, for instance,
when | have been entrusted with the
carrying out of plans which were
based on a presumption of normal eau
ton in the officer chiefly responsible.
1t was this that led to my retirement
for | concluded at last that chessboard
war was not the business for me-
What was the. narrowest shave you
ever had Major?" inquired somebody.
1T is hard" replied the Major, with
an air of considering the question care
fully, ito say. But" he added after a
slight pause, Il can easily name the oc-
casion on which | remained in a po-
sition of extreme peril for the longest
time. If you like | will tell you about
it,"
There were murmurs of appreciation,
and Mr.. Hawkins cordially urged the
Major to whirl in and toot his horn
1T was" said the old gentleman, af-
ter preparatory clearing of his throat
during what | may call a semi-official
tour of the Malay states that | took
about fourteen years ago. In the in
tervals of my business at the various
courts | had a good deal of shooting
of the kind that / consider worth
while; for several times I stayed in
towns where it was quite common
thing for tigers to break into the
houses at night, and | remember once,
at Johore, waking up to find a black
panther licking away at my shaving
cream on the dressing table. | killed
him with my revolver without getting
out of bed, but it was a good quarter
of an hour before l could get to sleep
again. These things upset one.
"But | was going to tell you--the adj
venture l speak of occurred in a part
of the country about four days ride
inland from Malacca. | have seen
good deal of jungle, and good many
hunting grounds; but l never met with
any forest growth so dense and i'm
penetrable as that was, nor found any
place stocked with such an extraordin-
airy profusion of game, big and little.
What / was going to tell you hap
pened one evening when | had-most
foolishly-strayed, off alone from my
camp along the side of the stream on
the banks of which it was pitched
The only weapon | had was the re-
volver in my belt | went a consider
able distance, and in about half an
hour came to spot where the jungle
ran down to within fifty yards of the
water 1t was while my back was
turned to the dense mass of trees and
vegetation that stretched interminably
away eastward that | heard the muf-
fed grGnt sound in the Jungle AS |
turned round there was a crash of
trampled vegetation, and in the moon
light | saw the head of the most mon
strous elephant | ever met with peer
ing out with wicked eyes from a thick
ct OF canes.
81 am obliged to admit that l gave
a start. The beast looked dangerous.
1t was regarding me fxedly and fierce
en- and snorting in a subdued, but de-
oldedly unpleasant, way / started,
olay; but / assure you I absolutely
Leaped backward when with a sudden
llurch, the elephant stepped out of
the covert and advanced toward me-
trumpeting with fury.
"Why did l jump back? l will tell
you. The elephant had two heads
What" exclaimed several voices.
1.-TWO heads" said the Major, slowly
and emphatically. 1.-TWO pairs of shout
ders and two sets of forefeet. Just be-
hind the shoulders the body became
normal and the headquarters we're sim
ply those of huge elephant some fif-
teen feet high. You hear of such things
every day among smaller animals, and
even in our own species it occurs from
oime to time. But I've never known