Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1905-07-01


ed the tiny sputtering sparks sail mp
into the air When the fire reached the
string 1t burned It off. setting free the
crackers which exploded q second later
In midair.
Finally Jack took the biggest cracker
that he had, one he had been saving for
a grand climax, made an extra long fuse,
attached 1t in the usual way and then
gave the kite all the string he had. Up |
up. up she sailed until she foated fairly |
over the circus tents. Then Jack saw
the tiny speck Of cracker drop. and.
watching It speed downward without ex-
ploding, he muttered to himself In dis
appointment why didn't l keep It and
fire II on the ground where | could make
1t go anyhow" But Jack had simply
miscalculated and had allowed too much
fuse between the cracker and string for
an explosion high In air. Just after the
tiny speck vanished behind one Of the
smaller tents, Jack heard II explode, fol-
lowed instantly by n scream that made
Jacks hair rise. Out from behind the
tent shot a huge black beast, tearing
across the fields with awkward, lumber
ing strides, but wonderfully fast. 1t
was the elephant With trunk thrown
up and back Of its head. and trumpeting
shrilly. II made straight toward Jack,
smashing down the rail fences in its path
as II they were straws, his keeper in full
pursuit, hopelessly distanced. From the
big tent began to pour out a strange
motley crowd Of townspeople, painted
clowns and scantily dressed bareback
riders to see what had happened. For IA
moment Jack, too frightened to move
watched the huge beast bearing down
unon him. then he fed for the hayloft
in the barn, and through a crack watch
ed the mad race Straight on came the
elephant. nor did he stop for an instant
at Miss AIMS nice picket fence; 1t
crashed down as had the rails before it.
Then the runaawy caught sight OF the
big. wide-open barn doors Miss Ann had
told Jack to close them that afternoon
and probably seeing safety In the dark
recesses of the barn, rushed In, where he
stood trumpeting and trembling with
fright. A few minutes later Jack heard
the keeper close the doors and say 10
the crowd coming up, that he would shut
the elephant in for awhile until he had
J Gained down Then the keeper told how
someone. he didn't know who, had
thrown a cracker in front of the big
beast lust as the latter was drinking
, and the runaway had resulted.
: Meantime Jack was in an unhappy
nredicament and retreated to n far cor
1 ner of the NOV, the cold chills chasing
Q each other down his back as he heard
I the heavy breathing of the elephant be
e low. Gradually the elephant grew quiet
err and Jacks courage began to come
j. back. He could hear old Nell whinnyinl
= with fright and stamping uneasily In he
e stall. Curiosity got the better of hin
K and he wanted to see what was going OF
d below. Cautiously, inch by inch, h
g crept to the edge of the NOW. In tn
dim light he could see the back of tn
:, elephant not two feet below him. Tn
;, animal was quiet now. Presently h
7 noticed the long trunk feeling along tn
=. edge of the NOW and examining the neN
=, quarters, so he beat a retreat once more
u The new hay was not yet In, and tn
= y, small amount of old hay left was at tn
u back of the NOW. A rustling on tn
:, edge of It caught his attention and h
-. made out the elephants trunk stretcl
ing for the hay. which il could nc
= reach. Cautiously he held out n wis.,
" 1t was taken and the trunk disappeared
A minute later it was back again. S
Jack continued to feed the elephan
% and growing holder, crawled to the eds
again. having bundle Of hay In h
10 hands. This time the elephant saw hir
and before he could retreat the b
ie trunk had caught him and deftly, b.
- gently, lifted him down. The hay
~ still held, and timidly offering it, it WI
promptly accepted.
A few minutes later the keeper OPEN
% the doors. to find to his establishment
", big charge and a small boy on the be
~ of terms. and when the elephant was &
~ dered out. he refused to move witho
a. Jack. "Pick him up. Mike" ordered t
~ keeper, so, gently, the elephant plac
v, Jack on his back and the processi
NJ NJ started for the circus tents once mol
an Jack the envy of all the boys in t
~ village, and Miss Ann realizing her he
- lessness In the situation.
- The show management settled for I
'is broken fences, but Miss Ann still retail
~ her prejudice against circusses. As
~ Jack, to this day no one knows W
"a dropped the cracker in front of Mil
~ Jack looks back to that Fourth, VIII
the circus came to him, because he COT
-, not go to It, as the greatest celebrate
- he ever had-Orange Judd Farmer.