Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-09-17

ing so.
Indeed, l think that my obstinacy
about them was downright sinful, but
I always was obstinate about things,
and could not bear the idea Of leaving
those splendid tusks which had cost
me so much pains and danger to come
by. Well, it nearly cost me my life,
also, and did cost poor Gobo his, as
will shortly be seen, to say nothing OF
the loss inflicted by my rifle on the enc.
my. When I reached the projection I
found that the men were trying, with
their usually stupidity, to hand up the
tusks point first.
Now the result Of this was that those
above had nothing to grip except the
round. polished surface of the ivory,
and this, in the position in which they
were, did not give sufficient hold to en-.
able them to lift the weight.
told them to reverse the tusks and
push them up, SO that the rough and
hollow ends came to the hands Of the
men above.
This they did. and the first two were
get up In safety.
At this point, looking behind me,
saw the Matukus streaming up the
slope in rough extended order, and
not more than hundred yards away.
Cooking the Winchester, l opened
fire on them.
don't quite know how many l
missed, but l do know that l never
shot better in my life.
1t was exactly like pheasant shoot.
ing at hot corner.
had to keep shifting myself from
one to the other, firing almost with
out getting sight-that is, by the eye
alone, after the fashion of the ex.
perts who break glass balls.
But quick as the work was, men
fell thick, and by the time that I
had emptied the carbine Of its twelve
cartridges the advance was for the
moment checked.
rapidly pushed in some more car
tridges, and hardly had I done so
when the enemy, seeing that we were
ON once more with tremendous yell.
BY this time the two halves CT the
single tusk of the great bull alone
remained to be passed up.
fired and fired as effectively as be-
fore, but, Notwithstanding all that
could do. some men escaped my hail
Of bullets and began to ascend the
cliff.
Presently my rifle was again empty.
slung 1t over my back, and draw
Ing my revolver turned to make bolt
of it, the attackers being now quite
close; MS l did so spear struck the
cliff close to my head.
The last half of the trsk was now
vanishing over the rock, and l sung
out to Gobo and the other man who
had been pushing it up to vanish af-
ter it.
Gobo, poor fellow, required no sec
ond invitation; indeed, his haste was
his undoing.
He went at the projecting rock with
bound
The end of the tusk was still project
ing over, and instead of Sraspng the
rock had caught at it.
1t twisted in his hand; he slipped,
he fell.
With one wild Shrek he vanished
into the abyss beneath, his falling body
brushing me as it passed
vA,, stn r1,net nd
presently the dull thud of his fall
smote upon our ears.
Poor fellow, he had met the fate
which, as he had declared. walked
about Loose in Wambe's country.
Then, with an oath, the remaining
man sprang at the rock, and clambered
over it in safety.
Aghast at the awfulness of what
had happened l stood still, till L
saw the great blade of Matuka spear
pass up between my feet.
That brought me to my senses, and
I began to Chamber up the rock like
a cat.
was half way round it,
Already l had clasped the hand of
that brave girl Maiwa, who had come
down to help me, the men having
scrambled forward with the ivory,
when felt hand seize my ankle.
"Pull. Maiwa. pull!' gaspcd; and
she certainly did pull.
Maiwa was very muscular woman,
never before did I so keenly appreciate
the advantages of the physical devel-
opment of females.
She tugged at my left arm, the saw
age below tugged at my right leg, till
l began to realize that something must
ere long give way.
Luckily l retained my presence OF
mind, like the man who, when fire
broke out in his house, threw his
mother-n-law out of the window and
carried his mattress downstairs.
My right hand was still free, and in
| it was my revolver, which was secured
to my wrist by leather thong.
1t was cooked, and l simply held 1T
downward and fired.
The result was instantancous--and.
so far as am concerned, most salts
factory.
The bullet hit the man beneath me
somewhere. am sure l don't know
where.
At any rate, he let go of my leg,
and plunged headlong into the gulf
beneath to join Gobo.
In another moment was on the top
of the rock, and going up the remain
ing step like lamp-llghter.
A single other soldier appeared In
pursuit, but one of my boys at the
top fired my elephant gun at him.
don't know II he hit him or only
| frir tcnnl him. at any ralc he van