The daily Alaskan., 1911-04-04
SEEING THE ELEPHANT
 By NL QUAD Copyright. 1910 by Associated Lit-
 er-ry Il-ss.

N...'H..H. hHANNI NNaN. HN"'a. posted up ou the highway barns He resented his interest He tried to chase 1t away. lie wresucd vith 1t as be hood com He could have got tac hgt- ter of lt but fUv one thing. The conn ing circus had ca exhibition 0u AfrI- can elephant weighing two tons. He had lost 0u eye and one tusk. br had killed Ave keepers. and It was expect ed be would bill the sixth within month. There was something iu this statement Co appeal and interest
 What I wauL' he said, Ifs 10 see that elephant ] want Co look him over for about halt an hour, and then I shall be willing to drive back home
 Brother Goodhuc," replied the min istcr. "as I understand it. there are two tents One is for the menagerie and the other for the circus"
 ''Ycs. that's SO"
 cone ticket admits to both.
 "It does
 "And the mcuagerie is the first tent you enter
 "I guess so.
 .rWcU the case seems to be right here. Can you enter tho first tent and gaze on the elephant and not long to enter tho second where the circus isf It Is surely no sin Go gaze on an eIe- phaut but when it comes 1a a circus nerf armancc. deacon. that is different ymf Snow You must fight this out alone. You are a strong man, but the two riugcd circus i- an awful tcmpta- ton"
 He had week to think it over Sometimes he was strong in his self confidence. and again bis knees wub- bIed. Why pay 90 cents to see the elephant alone when it would admit to an7 Was it worth that sum to gaze on even an elephant that h0d killed Eve meu7 It WAS decision and indeci sion for week, and then the minister inquired if his mind was made Up
 "Not skassly," was the reply.
 "You doubt your strenEthT
 That's it I do want Co see the elc- plant and I don't want to see them gals in spang,es. and I'm sweating over it."
 'Theu wouldn't it be wiser to give mp the idea
 The deacon went home and wreEtlcd another d1y and then decided not to go near the behcmotb The circus came. and his nci-lbors went and pcddIer came along the road and told him that it was tbe grandCst aEgrcc1- ton on the face uf the known world. and the words brought a lonely feel lnE
 The good mans reward was st hand, however. Just gt suBd0wu he heard a great yelling down Che road. and he looked to see a great cloud oT dust A havstack on wheels was coming his way, pursued by men and dogs The deacon was at the b0uy8rl gate with milk pail on his arm. AS tbe hay stack came nearer he murmured Go himself
 "B'cosb. Iys an elephant and he's broke away from the circus, He's the very one I wanted to see, and now there won't be no temptation about it"
 Yes. the two touner had brokeu loose and was looking for summer board. He was hiking straight ahead when he caught sight of the deacon and the open gate and the cows in the barnyard. lie sweryed aside and but ted Iu. Brother Guodhue did not un- derstaud the situation until two sec ouds too late He was seized and thrown twenty feet high to come down on the wagon shed with a broken leg, Then the four COWS were picked up and toyed with. They were tossed over into the road or slammed against tue barn. and the deacon on thc roof for got his pain as he gozcd. His wagon was smashed to bits and his hayrack pulled apart. and the behemoth played ball with a blow OF two
 Of course the circus men were after him al the time. but the two tonncr was out for fun. and he didn't sub init Co bondage until he had had it His last net was to burst through the fence and walk up Co the kitchen of the farmhouse and pick up the well curb and the old oaken bucket and send them sky high among the limbs of a cherry tree. Then he gave in and was led away looking as innocent as a lamb The circus proprietors agreed tc pay an damages. but as a matter Of fact not a cent wns ever had from them During his three months in bed Deacon Goodhue had many callers. Among them. as a matter of course. was his minister As he sat down by the bedside he asked:
 "Deacon. what do you figure up the damage to be-"
 Bout five hundred, I guess"
 "Um I wish could pay lt.
 "Oh, no one expects such a thing"
 "No. l cant pay it. but Il tell you what I can do. can advise you that when the next circus comes along you go to it You not only 20 in and sec the elephant, but the banEaroos. the camels. the giraGes and the hyenas. and then you get front seat at the circus performance and stay until the loet scf is ovarr